Choices of the Heart
by SG51169
Summary: Bella's greatest fear was losing Edward. But what about the other Cullens? Is there anything that would make them leave her again, this time for good? How can the Cullens make her believe that her place is safe with them?
1. Haunted By the Choices We Make

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Summary: **Bella's greatest fear was losing Edward again. Edward agreed to stay with her while his family battled the newborns and Victoria, but now that the threat is gone Bella is burdened with guilt over the knowledge that she asked Edward to choose between staying with her and fighting alongside his family in the battle. She feels she betrayed the Cullens by asking him to do so, bringing back fears of the Cullen leaving her again. It's up to the Cullens to prove to Bella that her place is with them, in their world, in their hearts, for eternity.

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**From "Eclipse" (Chapter 20 – Compromise – excerpt from page 435)**

_**"I was ready to join his family and his world…The next time something came at us, I would be ready. An asset, not a liability. He would never have to make the choice between me and his family again… "**_

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**Chapter One: Haunted By the Choices We Make**

The air was thick and heavy as the incoming storm rapidly approached the peninsula. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew through the forest, making branches and trees sway, and a dark figure swiftly made its way through the jet black forest, moving at an inhuman speed, flying past shrubs and branches, no more than a blur.

Edward Cullen was in a rush to get home…home to Bella. Home…that place of refuge, comfort, security, peace, contentment, pure joy. Bella was all these things to him and in the nomadic world where vampires existed home was a rare and precious thing.

It was close to 4:30 a.m. and Bella was asleep in her little bed at her father's house, waiting for Edward's return from his hunting trip. He'd been gone for two long days with his brothers and was anxious to have his Bella back in his arms.

Edward approached the house and quickly climbed up to Bella's window as the storm hit the town. Stepping inside the little room he took a deep breath, acclimating to her sweet scent again. Where once her scent made his throat burn, now her scent made him think of one thing only… _home_. A feeling of deep contentment spread throughout his body as he gazed upon the delicate figure lying on the small bed, yet her sleep was anything but peaceful tonight. Bella's arms were wrapped around her chest as she tossed and turned, twisting the sheets that were bunched up around her legs. _It's the nightmare again_, Edward thought. The nightmare that had been haunting her sleep for the past two weeks, the one where Victoria destroyed him, taking him away from her forever.

Edward swiftly made his way to the bed and climbed under the blankets, gently wrapping his arms and body around Bella while softly crooning in her ear, "I'm here, Bella. You're safe. We're all safe. Victoria's gone and she'll never hurt you again." Over and over he repeated these words, and started softly humming her lullaby.

Slowly his words started to take effect and Bella's body started to relax, but then she moaned and started to sob, "They're gone. I'll never be with them again. Carlisle, Esme, I'm so sorry for making him choose…I needed him with me. Please forgive me…please don't leave me too…" Over and over she kept repeating the same words.

Edward pulled his head back quickly, surprised at the words he was hearing. The recurring nightmare was not about Victoria; it was of Bella's fear of losing his family. His beautiful, tender-hearted fiancée felt guilty for putting the safety of her mate over the safety of his family. She felt she had betrayed the Cullens and that they would never forgive her for making Edward choose.

Edward let out a low hiss, frustrated yet again at not being able to hear her thoughts. If he had known, he would have long ago been able to say the words that would have given her comfort.

"Bella, sweetheart, wake up," Edward softly whispered in her ear, over and over again until her sobs started to quiet and her eyes slowly opened.

"Edward, you're back," Bella whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks as Edward gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and tenderly started kissing her cheeks. A gust of wind shook the house, startling Bella and causing her to instinctively snuggle closer to Edward, seeking the security of his strong arms. He tucked the blanket more securely around her as he drew Bella closer to his chest, content to have her safely enfolded in his protective embrace.

"I couldn't stand being away any longer, so we headed back early. And I'm glad we did. I come back to find you moaning and sobbing in your sleep again." he said. "All this time I thought you were having a nightmare about Victoria, but it's never been about her. Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me you were feeling guilty about my decision to stay with you in the meadow?"

Edward sighed when Bella didn't respond, only looking at him through her eyelashes and biting her lip. "Bella, don't try to deny it. You were pleading for Carlisle and Esme to forgive you and to not leave you."

Bella turned her face towards the wall, away from Edward's intense gaze. "I'm sorry, Edward. I made you choose between me and your family. How could I be so selfish after all they've done for me? I knew it was selfish when I asked you to stay with me, but I couldn't help it. I knew I wouldn't survive if you were taken from me and I was willing to let your family fight without your help. And now, even though Victoria is gone I feel terrible for having made you make that choice."

Edward leaned over and gently turned her face back towards his. "Bella, _you _will always be my first choice, my first priority. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world. You are my life. I can't live without you, just as you can't live without me. I made the same decision my parents and siblings would have made if the safety of their mate was at risk. You are the choice of my heart, just as you've made me the choice of yours. I swear they do not blame you, nor would they have blamed you if anything had happened to me."

"But, Edward, loyalty is everything to you and your family…" her voice trailing off.

"Yes, love, but the bond between two mates is stronger than all other bonds. They understand that," said Edward. "And you must begin to understand it, too." Edward paused to make sure he had Bella's undivided attention. "Isabella, please trust me when I say to you, I swear we will never leave you again. No matter what happens, you will always be a Cullen and our family will always be there for you."

Bella's face was still sad as she looked up at Edward through her lashes. "I hear what you're trying to tell me, Edward, and deep down inside my heart believes what you're saying, but my mind is having a hard time accepting it."

Edward leaned down and softly kissed her brow. "Then we need to make sure both your mind and heart agree on this: we will never leave you again. You are a Cullen; you belong to us and we belong to you and it's time we prove it to you once and for all." he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Bella, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"All in good time, Bella, all in good time…" replied Edward as he gently pulled her closer to his body and kissed her with all the love and passion he felt for her. All thoughts of Bella's nightmare faded away as she lost herself in his kisses.


	2. Early Morning Conversations

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: Thank you everyone for the lovely reviews. Please bear with me for the first couple of chapters as I need to set up the storyline leading up to the heart of the story. But I trust that you will enjoy the results. And now the second chapter…

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**Chapter Two: Early Morning Conversations**

Dawn crept into the small town of Forks as the storm finally passed. Bella had fallen asleep and Edward was preparing to go home. He needed to change and check in with the family. In particular, there was a little matter regarding a certain Ms. Swan that he needed to discuss with his parents.

Edward quickly slipped out the window and ran towards the Cullen home, hoping to get back to Bella before she woke again.

As Edward approached the house he listened for the voices of his siblings. The conversation he wanted to have with Carlisle and Esme was not one he wanted to share with his siblings, not until he had discussed the situation fully with his parents and received their thoughts and advice.

Fortunately the house was quiet. It appeared everyone was out spending time with their mates. Edward made his way inside and up the stairs, following the sound of his parent's voices coming from the library. The door was open and revealed a scene that Edward never tired of witnessing. Carlisle and Esme were sitting on a sofa in front of a warm and cheerful fire crackling in the fireplace, Carlisle quietly reading Shakespearean sonnets to Esme as she sat next to him to him sketching in her portfolio. It was a scene Edward hoped to repeat with Bella in the years to come.

Carlisle smiled when he noticed Edward standing in the doorway. "Edward, come in. How is Bella?" Esme raised her head from where it had been laying against Carlisle's shoulder and smiled in greeting as well.

"I'm worried about Bella, Carlisle. She was having another nightmare when I arrived at her house, moaning and sobbing in her sleep." Edward said.

"Oh Bella…" Esme murmured softly, her gentle eyes betraying her worry for her youngest daughter. Esme was deeply protective of Bella and it pained her to know Bella was still dealing with the after effects of the battle.

Carlisle smiled reassuringly at his wife before turning back to Edward. "Edward, it hasn't been that long since the battle and it may take awhile for Bella to come to terms with what happened. You just need to give her time. The nightmares about Victoria will fade…"

Edward interrupted. "Carlisle, I thought she was having another nightmare about Victoria, but I was wrong. It's something entirely different."

"If the nightmares are not about Victoria, then who or what are they about?" asked Carlisle.

"They're about us, Carlisle. In her nightmares our family abandons her again. She dreams she is going to lose us." Edward said as he started pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Esme raised startled eyes toward Edward, glancing quickly at Carlisle before turning back again to Edward. "How do you know this, Edward? Are you sure this is what she's dreaming?"

"Yes, Esme," replied Edward, still pacing back and forth. "When I arrived she had her arms wrapped around herself saying _'They're gone. I'll never be with them again' _over and over. She was talking about the family." Edward replied. "Before the battle, you know she asked me to choose between staying with her and fighting alongside everyone else. She feels she betrayed everyone by making me make a choice."

Esme looked up quickly. "Edward, that's absurd! Surely she knows we would never think that of her. From the very beginning she's protected our secrets, even to the point of putting herself in danger, _all for us!_ We know how much she loves us and we love her deeply as well. Doesn't she realize we understand the strength of the bond between mates? We have _all_ faced that choice at one time or another. It's not a betrayal if her love for you is greater than it is for us. That is the way it should be. And we would never leave her again, not for that reason or any other reason," Esme added passionately.

Carlisle nodded his agreement with his wife's comments. "Esme is right, Edward. Bella is your mate; in less than two months she will be your wife and officially a Cullen. Her future is with us, no less than any other member of our coven."

"I know it doesn't make sense," said Edward. "But she's been under so much stress, trying to do the right thing, not wanting to disappoint anyone. Her insecurities are coming to the fore again."

Sadness spread over Esme's face as she pondered Bella's words. Esme loved all her children, but Bella held a very special place in her heart. Bella's relationship with her own mother was very different; Bella was the adult in that relationship. In her relationships with both her parents she was in some way the caretaker. But with Esme, Bella was able to assume the true role of daughter. They spent hours talking, laughing, as Esme shared stories and advice while trying to strengthen Bella's sense of belonging and her confidence in herself. Esme loved being a mother to Bella.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged a look as they watched their son continue to pace back and forth. Edward abruptly came to a stop in front of the fireplace. "Carlisle…maybe we should be asking ourselves what we can do to convince her once and for all that she is an integral part of this family, as a daughter, sister and my wife-to-be. She needs to feel the comfort and security of knowing that we protect and keep safe what is our own."

"Then we need to do whatever we can to prove to her that we will never leave her again. The question now is how do we do that? Do you have a plan in mind, son?" asked Carlisle.

"Perhaps it's time for the Cullen family to take an extended vacation. We need to get Bella away from Forks for a little while, take her someplace where she can relax and feel normal again, and where we can each spend one-on-one time with her and reassure her of her place with us."

Carlisle nodded his head thoughtfully. "I understand what you're saying, Edward. Obviously there are still some feelings of abandonment from last fall. She must have buried those feelings very deep and now that they've come out she's dealing with them in typical Bella fashion: once again she's taking the blame and guilt on herself."

Esme nodded in agreement. "Carlisle is right, Edward. We must do everything we can to show her she has nothing to feel guilty about."

Carlisle closed his book and stood up to join his son by the fireplace. "Alright. If this is going to work we're going to need a good plan. It's not going to be easy to convince Charlie to let Bella go away for a couple of weeks with her fiancé, even knowing that we will be there with the two of you."

Edward eyes lit up and he grinned. "Oh, it gets even better, Carlisle. We're not just going to take her away for a couple of weeks. I want to take her out of the country… to London, England."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows in surprise at this. "London? And may I ask why you are choosing my old hometown?"

Edward continued with a devilish grin on his face. "Weren't you thinking about accepting that invitation to the London Trauma Conference being held at the Royal Geographical Society in London this year? And if I'm not mistaken, the Royal Society of Medicine also extended to you an open invitation to visit, and I believe you mentioned you would consider only if your family were able to accompany you and enjoy the sights of the city together?"

"I believe you're right, Edward." Carlisle grinned and chuckled softly at his son's plan. "Excellent idea, Edward, I think we can make this work."

Esme looked at the two men and beamed her approval.

"Edward, she will love it! She's told me how you and she have discussed places you want to travel after she is past the newborn stage. She gets so excited when she talks about London!" said Esme, growing more excited by the idea.

Suddenly a whirling blur of motion spun into the room. Alice.

"Oh, Edward! London! London, England! It will be perfect! Charlie knows Bella has not been herself lately and he's worried about her. This time he _knows_ it's not you, Edward!" smiled Alice. "I've already seen it. Charlie will fuss a bit but when Carlisle and Esme both explain how they want the chance to really show Bella how much they feel she belongs in our family, he'll agree. All he wants is for Bella to be safe, happy and loved and he knows that our family will give that to her. Oh, I can't wait! Two weeks in London with my little sister, and all that shopping!"

"Alice! You know this is not what this trip is all about!" Edward said sharply.

Alice rolled her eyes at her brother. "Edward, calm down. I _know _this trip isn't all about shopping. It's about each of us spending quality time bonding with Bella and helping her to become more secure in her place with us. But _my_ way of bonding with Bella is shopping. She may grumble, but deep down inside she doesn't really mind being my Bella Barbie." Alice said this with a smug smile on her face.

Edward gave an exaggerated sigh. "Have you always been this annoying?" But there was a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth as he said this, causing Alice to nod her head proudly.

Carlisle, Esme and Edward laughed at Alice's enthusiasm.

"Alice is right. We will each of us need to spend one-on-one time with Bella, although I assume you will be getting the most one-on-one time with her this trip?" said Carlisle with a twinkle in his eye.

Edward replied with a laugh, "You would be correct in that assumption, Carlisle."

Edward then turned to Alice and asked, "Would you mind working with me on the travel arrangements and accommodations? You know Bella has always wanted to visit England. We'll have to make plans to tour some of the famous sites; I want her to have the whole London experience. It's been a while since we've been to London and…"

Alice interrupted. "Don't worry, Edward, I have lots of ideas and Jazz help research the itinerary. You know how much he loves to research." Alice started rocking back and forth on her heels, unable to keep still. "I'm so excited! You know I love Bella more than my existence and there isn't anything that I wouldn't do to help my sister."

Edward smiled affectionately at his sister, as always touched by the love and loyalty she showed towards his Bella from the very beginning. "Yes, Alice, I know you do. And Bella knows it too. Let's get started. The Cullens are going to England."


	3. To the Meadow And Other Surprises

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter Three: To the Meadow…And Other Surprises**

Edward's discussion with his parents and Alice had taken longer than he'd anticipated so as soon as they had finished he raced back to Bella's house. It was quiet except for the sound of the shower running upstairs. Bella was awake. Edward mentally cursed himself for not making it back before she woke, and quickly climbed through the window and sat on Bella's bed while thinking of how to bring up the subject of the London trip. He knew it was going to take some very careful words on his part. There were two aspects of the trip that had him worried; or rather it was Bella's reaction that had him worried. First, Bella hated surprises, and second, she did not like Edward spending money on her.

Edward decided that this was a conversation that would best be discussed at their meadow. It was a place where they were both able to relax and he hoped she would be more open to the discussion they were going to have. He was determined to take her on this getaway. Sooner or later she had to get used to the fact that the Cullens had money, and she was now (or soon to be) a Cullen. It was not an issue for them, and she had to learn to not let it be an issue for her as well.

The bathroom door opened and steam billowed out the door and into the room. Edward was hit with Bella's delicious scent again, this time more potent because of the warm water. He couldn't get enough of it. It was a combination of pain and pleasure, but he never wanted to live without it.

A huge smile lit Bella's face as she walked into the room and saw Edward waiting for her on the bed.

"Hey, I missed you," Bella said as she made her way over to Edward, her hair damp against her shoulders, skin pink from the warm water from the shower. This was Edward's favorite way to see her, and his gaze was intense as he took in everything about her. Bella started to blush under the intensity of his stare and Edward smiled, loving the effect he had on her and how he could make her blush and her heart beat faster when he was near. If only she realized just how much she affected him as well…

He pulled her into his arms, first wrapping her in the small blanket that was at the foot of the bed so she wouldn't catch chill from his cold body. He inhaled deeply as he ran his nose along her jawline to the soft patch of skin behind her ear. Bella shivered from the sensations he was causing her to feel, as he made his way back across her jawline to her lips.

"I tried to make it back before you woke but there were a few things I needed to discuss with Carlisle and it took longer than I expected," he said as he ran his fingers through her damp hair.

"No, it's fine," said Bella. "Actually, I woke up less than half an hour ago and wasn't sure what you wanted to do today so I thought may as well get up and shower and wait for you to get back."

"Well, I was thinking today would be a perfect day to go to our meadow. Alice says the sun is supposed to break through the clouds around 10 or 11 this morning. It'll be sunny for a few hours before the clouds come back in. We can go now if you want?" smiled Edward as he waited for her response.

Bella's heart started to race as she stared into Edward's eyes, dazzled again.

"Breathe, Bella, before your heart stops. I'm not sure if you could handle mouth-to-mouth resuscitation right now," Edward teased softly. Bella took a deep breath and shivered at the thought of Edward having to revive her with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It was a good thing she was sitting on his lap because her legs felt like jelly.

"You know, it's not fair the effect you have on me. Why can't I make you forget to breathe, or watch your eyes glaze over?" she pouted playfully as she peered at Edward through her lashes, causing Edward to suddenly lose his train of thought.

He took a deep breath to clear his head. "I beg to differ, Ms. Swan. First, vampires don't need to breathe and you very well know there are times when I'm forced to hold my breath because you smell so temptingly good!" he said as he lightly tapped her nose with his finger. "And, don't ever think you don't affect me the way I affect you. There is no one else on this planet that has the ability to distract me beyond all reason! It's a wonder you don't get what you want more often, considering how it's virtually impossible for me to deny you anything!" They both started laughing at his comment.

"So, do you want to spend the morning in our meadow?" Edward teased, "I'll even let you unbutton my shirt so you can watch the sun make me sparkle…" After all this time it still amazed Edward to know that Bella thought he was beautiful in the sun.

"Sold! Let's go now!" she said eagerly, jumping up out of Edward's arms and lightly tugging his arm. He let her pull him to his feet and followed her to the door, laughing as he said, "Oh, eager now are we?"

"Of course," said Bella. "How often do I get a day where I can just be alone with you, out in the sun, with no one else around for miles and with your permission to ogle you for hours? Not that I would ask for your permission," she teased, "but it's nice to know I've been given special dispensation to do so."

Edward threw his head back and laughed again, charmed as always by the way Bella's thought process worked. "Yes, we haven't had nearly enough time alone and it's probably going to get worse as Alice goes into full wedding-planning mode. I can only hope you're still going to want to marry me after all is said and done!"

"Alice…" Bella said with a groan. "The little pixie is going to drive me crazy, isn't she?" Edward nodded sympathetically at Bella as she dropped her head into the crook of his neck. Suddenly she pulled back and batted her eyes as she teasingly asked, "Will my big, strong vampire love come to rescue me?"

Edward looked deep into her eyes and said, "Always, Bella, I will always be there to rescue you," and then he proceeded to give her a very thorough kiss that had her head spinning as he held her tightly.

She sighed as Edward reluctantly released her and stood up, causing Edward to smile yet again. "Okay, spider-monkey, hop on my back and hold on tight!"

They flew past trees and shrubs, occasionally startling little woodland creatures as they raced through the woods. Edward ran faster, a huge grin on his face, his joy palpable. Bella had a similar grin plastered on her own face, happy because she now felt the same rush, the same joy Edward felt as the wind brushed against their faces and through their hair. In no time at all they arrived at the meadow and sank down into the tall grass.

Edward stretched his long form out on the ground, gently pulling Bella to lay next to him, tucked into his side, his arm supporting her neck as her head rested against his shoulder.

Bella sighed. "I love it here. It's so peaceful, so beautiful. It's like our own little piece of heaven on earth."

Edward turned his head towards Bella's face and softly kissed her lips. The meadow had long been his favorite spot, a secret place he had never shared with anyone, not even his family. When Bella came into his life he knew he wanted to share it with her. In his mind it was no longer _his _meadow; it was _their _meadow.

"I've always loved this meadow. I used to spend hours here, taking in the warmth of the sun, no people around for miles and no thoughts but my own. It was my special place. I've never shared this place with anyone, not even with my family. When I realized I was in love with you, I wanted nothing more but to bring you here. I could visualize the two of us here together and nothing made me happier, or scared me more, than the day I first brought you here," he said.

"I loved it the moment I saw it. This place is special to me because our most important conversation took place here. We both let down our guard and declared ourselves to each other." replied Bella. The sunlight was starting to break through the clouds as she started to unbutton his shirt to expose his neck and chest. His skin started sparkling and Bella gave a contented sigh.

"Bella," Edward began, "I want to talk about what happened last night, your nightmare."

Bella's mood suddenly changed, becoming melancholy. Edward knew it was a subject she didn't want to face yet, but they needed to if they were going to be able to move forward with their future.

"Bella," he told her gently. "I've been thinking about all the recent events that have happened leading up to now and how you've been under so much stress, all the strain and tension you've had to deal with… that the whole family has had to deal with. That was why I wanted to talk to Carlisle. We've decided that it's time for the Cullen family to get a way for a while."

Edward looked at Bella in alarm as her heart sputtered for a moment before starting to beat rapidly. Her face turned red and she started to shake. "Bella, what it is? What's wrong?"

"You're going away, with your family?" she asked fearfully. Edward realized how it must have sounded to her and immediately felt the old guilt come back. He pulled her into his chest and started again.

"I'm sorry, Bella, that didn't come out the way it was supposed to. I mean, yes, _our _family is going away, _including_ you. I told you I'm never leaving your side again. You're coming with us. You're a Cullen now, remember?" he gently chided.

Bella's heart started to slow down as her color started to return to normal. "Where are we going?"

"Well, we've decided a change of scenery is required. Someplace where we can be completely removed from our normal routines, where you can relax and just enjoy yourself. We'll be normal, regular people on vacation without a care in the world, and to do that we are going to get as far away from Forks as possible. We're going to London," he said, his golden eyes looking into Bella's brown eyes.

"London!" Bella jumped up out of Edward's arms, excitement in her voice. "London? As in London, England, _London_?"

This was going better than Edward had believed possible.

"Yes, silly Bella, London as in Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Wuthering Heights, Queen Elizabeth II, Austin Powers, Harry Potter, David Beckham, London…" he teased as he pulled her back down into his arms.

"Why London?" Bella asked, settling into his arms.

"Well, London is as far away from Forks as we can get where they speak English so there will be no language problems for you!" he said as he smiled at her. "You love English literature, and you and I have already talked about visiting England, although we had thought to do it after your change. England is far enough away from Italy and the Volturi so you'll be safe from them, not that they would try anything knowing your change will take place shortly after our wedding." Edward's voice took on a threatening edge as he contemplated the Volturi trying to get to Bella.

He continued. "And I know you will enjoy all the castles and historic landmarks. Carlisle will be able to show you his hometown," he chuckled as her eyes grew wide, "and the city and surrounding areas have plenty of attractions to keep the others entertained as well. It will also give everyone the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with you. Emmett's been talking about how he wants to have fun hanging out with his favorite human. Not to mention that Alice will be in shopping paradise, eager for you to play British Bella Barbie!"

"No, no, no..." Bella groaned, covering her face with her hands. Her engagement ring caught the light from the sun and Edward pulled her hand to his face, kissing her ring and fingers before placing a kiss on her lips.

"So do you like the idea?" Edward breathed against her lips.

"Yes…I love the idea." Bella replied as she closed her eyes and snuggled in closer.

Having the ability to read minds allowed Edward to know what was coming before the words came out of someone's mouth, but Bella's easy acceptance of the trip had completely surprised him. He was expecting to have to coax and convince her to agree to the trip, yet once again Bella reacted opposite the way he had expected. He so desperately wished he could, at times like this, hear Bella's thoughts.

"You do realize that money is going to be spent to make this happen, right? You understand the Cullens will be traveling first class and staying in luxurious but tasteful accommodations? That there will be shopping involved and lots of excursions?" he asked cautiously and continued, "You also understand that as your head-over-heels-in-love fiancé I will be exercising my prerogative to spoil you outrageously in any way I choose?"

Bella put her hands on her face again and groaned. "Yes, yes I understand. I'm trying very hard not to think about it, though."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my fiancée?" Edward said half-teasingly. "Don't get me wrong, I am very pleasantly surprised at this change of heart. But are you really okay with this? What's changed?"

Bella blushed but didn't answer right away, and for once Edward was willing to wait patiently for her response.

"Well, while you were at your house, I started thinking about what you had said me. You told me that my heart and mind needed to agree that your family would never leave me again, and that I'm a Cullen; I belong to the Cullens and they belong to me," Bella said in a low voice. She continued, "You said you would prove it to me and the fact that you and your family would plan a trip like this and include me...well, it speaks volumes. It's like I said, my heart knows the truth, but it's taking my mind a little longer to catch up."

"And the whole spending money thing?" prompted Edward.

Bella scrunched her nose. "Okay, that part is a little more difficult." Edward laughed, highly amused.

"Don't laugh," she pouted playfully. Edward was captivated by her again.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, please continue…" he solemnly replied, but his eyes were laughing.

"You're just going to have to be patient with me. I didn't have a lot of money growing up and I didn't need it to be happy. So there's a part of me that feels, well, unequal to you. You have money, I don't."

"Bella…" Edward started to say.

"No, wait, I'm not finished yet," she said. "It's like I keep saying, the mind and heart thing. I see how all of you view the money; it's a perk, but it doesn't define the Cullens. I know that even if the Cullens didn't have money, each and every one of you would still be happy and all your qualities would still be the same. Maybe that's what I feared most about the money. That it would change me and I wouldn't be me anymore."

"That would never happen, Bella. You are so like Carlisle; I've never know two people more defined by their integrity than the two of you." Edward replied. "You're right; money doesn't define who we are. It's the love we have for one another; the loyalty we feel towards each other, that's what defines this family. Even when we're faced with difficult choices, we still are there for each other in the end."

"I decided that if love and loyalty are the defining characteristics of this family, then why am I complaining when my fiancé wants to please me by buying me a little present, or when he wants to take me on a trip so that we can spend time together. I never realized how selfishly I was behaving. I wasn't letting you feel the joy of being able to give something to the one you love and for that I am truly sorry, Edward," said Bella.

"There is nothing to apologize for, sweetheart." Edward replied with another kiss. No other words were needed for a long time, the two communicating with their lips and hands their perfect understanding of each other.

After what seemed like hours Bella raised her head and looked Edward in the eye.

"So, three weeks in a foreign country with my fiancé, and his family of course. Are you going to tell me how you're going to break the news to my father?" Bella said with a mischievous grin on her face.

Edward shook his head back and forth. "Bella, have a little faith. It's time to call in the 'secret weapon.'"

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A/N: I know some of you might be thinking that it's a little out of character for Bella to become so accepting of the Cullen money, but I didn't want Edward to have to spend a lot of time on the issue. Besides, Bella is always doing the opposite of what Edward expects…why not this issue as well? Plus, I wanted to get through the next couple of chapters and get our characters to London where the real fun will begin!


	4. Charlie's Good Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter 3: Charlie's Good Day**

Charlie Swan was having a very good day. He had spent the day fishing with his good friend Billy Black and was now on his way back home. The fish had been biting today and he'd caught enough to fill the remaining empty spaces in the freezer. He chuckled to himself as he imagined Bella's expression when he told her that he'd replenished their "dwindling" supply of fish. Charlie knew fish wasn't Bella's favorite meal, but she knew how much he loved it and was always finding different ways to prepare it for him.

Charlie pulled into the driveway and got out of the cruiser. He looked around the yard and noted it was time to mow the lawn again. The rain kept the grass green, but it also made it grow so fast he was hard pressed to keep up with it. He'd rather spend his weekends fishing, but on occasion he got out the mower and trimmed it down.

He walked in the front door and called out to Bella. Silence. _She's probably at the Cullens right now_, he thought, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a cold beer from the refrigerator. Charlie walked to the back door, looking out into the yard. Everything was quiet, peaceful, and comfortable.

Yes, everything was finally starting to settle down for the Swan's. Work was routine; the only action his little police department saw was ticketing the speeding tourists as they flew through Forks. Weekends were spent fishing with Billy and the evenings watching sports highlights on TV.

His thoughts drifted back to Bella. She had graduated from high school a few weeks ago and was going to be married in a few months. While he still felt she was too young, in years, to be married, he couldn't deny that it was the right choice for her.

Bella and Edward were both very mature for their ages and Charlie had slowly, very slowly come to accept that Edward was his daughter's future. Not so long ago he'd hoped Jacob would take Edward's place in Bella's life, but now he knew Jacob was not right for her. _Jacob's a good kid_, he thought, _but he's not mature enough for Bella. He's not on the same level emotionally and intellectually as Bella. _Charlie was finally able to admit, if only to himself at this point, that Edward was Bella's equal. Only Edward had the emotional maturity to match Bella's, only Edward had the intellectual ability to challenge and keep up with his intelligent daughter. And only Edward had given Bella the love and devotion she deserved.

Charlie was not blind. He saw how protective Edward was of Bella, how he took care of her and made sure she had everything she needed or wanted. He saw how Edward's love made Bella blossom, and how the love of the Cullen family, from Alice to Carlisle and Esme, had given Bella a sense of belonging. She had always seemed lost, always different from other kids around her and never seeming to truly belong anywhere. With the Cullens she was part of a family. She was not just a daughter, but also a beloved sister. It pained Charlie to know he and Renee were never able to give Bella what Edward and the Cullens were able to give her, but he loved his daughter with his whole heart and only wanted her to be happy. He was grateful to Carlisle and Esme for loving his daughter like their own.

Unbeknownst to Bella, Charlie had had a private conversation with Edward where they had cleared the air. It had contributed to Charlie's current state of contentment. He was glad Bella was not aware of the conversation as he was afraid to think of what her reaction would have been if she had known that he intended to have a very serious talk with Edward.

Charlie had wanted to speak privately with Edward for some time, and with the announcement of their engagement he realized it was time to put the past to bed, so to speak, and clear the air with his future son-in-law. Almost as if Edward could read his mind, he told Charlie that Alice would be arriving in a few minutes to go over wedding details with Bella. Not two minutes later Alice rang at the door and after a cheerful "Hi Charlie" she dragged Bella upstairs to go over dresses and cakes. As they watched the two young women retreat upstairs, Edward gave him the opening he had been hoping for.

"_Sir, I want to thank you for supporting our decision to marry," said Edward. "It means so much to Bella that you approve our marriage. Your approval has always meant a lot to her."_

_Charlie's surprise at this was obvious._

"_I never know what's going on in that head of hers…" said Charlie. Edward chuckled at this and said quietly under his breath, "You and me both, sir."_

_Charlie laughed at this. "Yeah, well I guess Bella's not one to share her thoughts with anyone. What I wouldn't give to be able to read that kid's mind!"_

_Edward's eyes were twinkling again as if laughing at a secret joke. Charlie wondered briefly what that was all about, but decided he wanted to finish saying what he needed to say._

"_It was difficult letting Renee take Bella after the divorce and having to be satisfied with short summer visits. When Bella called to say that she wanted to come to Forks for a longer stay, I was very surprised but pleased to finally have the chance to spend some real time with my little girl. Little did I realize that my little girl was no longer little," he said._

"_Sir…" Edward started to interrupt, but Charlie held his hand up to stop him._

"_Wait, I need to finish this. Like I said, she's no longer little and it's been hard to let go. I was not around near enough while she was growing up so when she's with me I'm more protective and I think you agree that Bella needs to be protected more the normal person out there," he said._

_Charlie continued, "I know that I've given you a hard time since, well, since you returned to Forks with your family. Bella explained what happened and why you did what you did. While I can't say I approve your actions, I think I can understand, a little. I still think it was a stupid decision, kid, but then whoever said men were the smartest beings around, right? Bella forgave you immediately, but it was harder for me because I love my daughter and you hurt her, very badly. There was nothing that I could do to make her hurt go away. I couldn't just put a Band-Aid on the hurt, or kiss her forehead to make it all better. But she's no longer a little girl who needs her daddy's protection. She's a grown woman who will need the love and protection of her husband. I have to accept that she's going to make her own choices. She's going to follow her own heart and you're the one she wants to be with now. Edward, she's my greatest treasure and now I'm entrusting my most precious girl to you."_

_Edward looked at Charlie, his golden eyes full of emotion as he replied, "Charlie, I promise, no, I swear, I will always be her protector. She is my greatest treasure, too. I love her more than my own life and I will always do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, to protect her, to love her. She will always have my love, she will always have the love of my family, and she will never be alone again."_

_Charlie's eyes watered but he gruffly cleared his throat. "That's all I ask Edward."_

_He reached his hand out to shake Edward's, each glad that they had come to this understanding._

Yes, it was a very good day for Charlie.


	5. A Special Request and a Promise

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed the holidays! I know I haven't updated this story in a long time...I had a bit of writer's block and needed to step away from the story for a while, but I think I'm back on track. Please R/R and let me know what you think.

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**Chapter Five: A Special Request and a Promise**

It had been surprisingly easy to obtain Charlie's permission for Bella to travel overseas with the Cullens. Charlie had only briefly hesitated, owing to his reluctance at not seeing his daughter for several weeks. He understood that a change of scenery might be good for Bella, not to mention the opportunity to visit a country she had long dreamed of visiting one day.

After their afternoon at the meadow, Edward and Bella returned to the Cullen house for Edward's car. Carlisle and Esme followed them in the Mercedes as Carlisle was going to ask Charlie's permission for Bella to accompany the Cullens to London.

Edward pulled up to the house while Carlisle parked in the driveway behind Charlie's cruiser. Bella's heart was racing as she thought of the coming conversation with Charlie. Edward took her hand, kissing her fingers. "Relax, love. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. Everything is going to be fine, you'll see."

"Edward, how can you be so relaxed? This is an extended vacation we're talking about, not to mention we'll be on another continent! Charlie's going to freak out, I know he is!"

Edward smiled as he ran his fingers over her lips before getting out of the car and racing to the other side to open the door for Bella. He pulled her out and leaned against the car with his arms around her.

"Sweetheart, it will be fine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with his reaction." Edward said as leaned down and placed his head on the top of her head, pulling her into a closer embrace.

Bella wasn't entirely convinced, but she decided to put her trust in Edward, as she always had.

They walked to the door, Bella opening the door and announcing, "I'm home, Dad."

Charlie was sitting in his chair in front of the television watching a ballgame and turned his head towards the door.

"Bells, Edward." He caught sight of Carlisle and Esme as they stepped through the doorway and got up out of his chair to greet them. "Carlisle, Esme. I didn't know you were stopping by for a visit."

Carlisle shook Charlie's hand, as did Esme. "We're sorry for dropping by unexpectedly, Charlie, but we needed to talk to you and Bella suggested we follow her and Edward back home."

"No need to apologize, Carlisle. I'm always glad to see the both of you. You're always welcome in my home."

Esme smiled at Charlie. "Thank you, Charlie. That means a great deal to us."

Charlie looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, please sit down." Carlisle and Esme sat on the sofa while Edward pulled two chairs from the kitchen for himself and Bella.

"Okay, so what can I do for you this evening?" Charlie asked Carlisle, clearly curious about what Carlisle needed to discuss with him.

"Charlie, I have a favor to ask of you. I've been invited to attend the London Trauma Conference which is being held at the Royal Geographical Society in London this month. It's a great honor to be invited and I've decided to accept." Carlisle said as Esme nodded in agreement.

"That sounds like a great opportunity, Carlisle. I'm happy for you, but what does this have to do with me?" Charlie asked.

"Well, the conference is a week long event, but there I've also received an invitation to visit the Royal Society of Medicine during my stay. This being the case, I've decided to bring the family with me so they can also enjoy the sights and sounds of London." Carlisle paused as he gauged Charlie's reaction. "We plan to be in London for three weeks and we'd like Bella to accompany us on the trip."

Charlie raised his eyebrows, considering Carlisle's request. "You'd like Bella to go with your family to London? For three weeks?"

"Yes, we would love for Bella to join us. I haven't been able to spend any extended time with my family due to work and other obligations, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to do so. And since Bella has never vacationed with our family, Esme and I feel very strongly about including her on this trip," Carlisle responded with a smile, glancing over at Esme.

Esme glanced fondly at Bella before turning to Charlie. "Yes, Charlie, it would mean so much if we were able to spend this time with Bella. We already feel she's a member of the Cullen family and in just a few months she will _officially _be one, but it would mean so much to us to be able to share this wonderful experience with her, and her with us. And I don't think Bella or Edward wish to be separated for so long and with so many miles between them, wouldn't you agree?"

Charlie reflected on the time that Bella and Edward had been separated during those long seven months and quickly agreed with Esme's assessment. Charlie turned towards Bella who was holding Edward's hand so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

"Bells, would you like to go to London?"

Bella looked at Edward, then Carlisle and Esme, and back to Charlie. "Yes, Dad, I really want to go. I want to spend time with the Cullens and I've always wanted to visit England. It would mean a lot if I could go with them."

Charlie looked at Edward. He was thinking of their recent conversation, as well as Carlisle and Esme's wish for Bella to join their family on the trip. Bella was an adult and he knew he had no right in refusing her if she wished to leave on a holiday with her fiancé and his family, but more than that he had no wish to deny her this opportunity. It was an easy decision to make.

"Bella, you're an adult now. You don't need my permission to make the choices that work for you and if a trip with your future in-laws is what you want, then you have to follow your heart. If this is what you want to do, I have no problem with it." Charlie said.

Bella stared at her father, shocked at how easily he was agreeing to this trip with the Cullens. He never agreed to anything this easily, especially if it involved Edward. She glanced at Edward and noticed he had a small smile on his face as if he knew something she did not.

Charlie chuckled at Bella's expression before turning serious. He addressed Edward. "Young man, remember our conversation. You promised you would always care for and protect my greatest treasure. I'm putting my trust in you to look after her in England and to bring her back safe and sound."

Edward gave Bella a small wink as he responded to Charlie, "I remember, sir. You have my word. _More than my own life..._"

Charlie gruffly cleared his throat. "Ahem, well, then I guess it's settled. When do you plan on leaving?"

Carlisle spoke up. "The seminar starts next week. We plan to fly out Friday morning and spend the weekend in New York before continuing on to London."

Charlie nodded before turning to Edward and Bella. "Okay…" He cleared his throat. "Edward, Bella, I'd like to speak privately with Carlisle and Esme so why don't the two of you take off for a little while?" he said as he looked at Edward's parents. Edward's eyes twinkled and his lips were vibrating as he quickly whispered under his breath to Carlisle what it was Charlie wanted to discuss with him and Esme. Carlisle and Esme both raised their eyebrows in surprise, and not a small amount of horror. Edward raised his hand to his mouth so as not to laugh as he stood up and held out his hand to help Bella up from her chair. Bella took his hand, silently asking him with a quirked eyebrow what was happening. Edward slowly shook his head at her and very softly whispered, "Later…" Bella, always able to read between the lines, turned red when she realized Charlie was going to be discussing hers and Edward's "sleeping" arrangements with Carlisle and Esme.

"Let's go, Bella," Edward said with a smile as he twined her fingers with his and led her out of the house.


	6. New York, New York

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter Six: New York, New York**

Bella could hardly contain her excitement as they boarded the airplane that morning in Seattle for their flight to New York City. There had been a change of plans. A flight from Seattle to London would have been an overnight flight…they wouldn't have arrived until noon of the next day and Edward had decided he didn't want Bella exhausted from such a long flight so he had Alice schedule a three day lay-over in New York. He wanted to show Bella some of the city before they left for the remaining leg of their journey. He knew it was the right decision when he and Alice told Bella and saw her eyes light up with excitement as she explained it was another city she had always wanted to visit.

Bella wasn't the only one in the family eager for the opportunity to visit New York. Alice was excited by the shopping opportunities and had already warned Edward that they were going to be hitting some of the shops on Madison Avenue. Edward glanced at Jasper who just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. _You know Alice, Edward. You and Bella might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride…_ Edward knew Jasper was right and raised his hands to Alice in surrender.

Rosalie was excited for the opportunity to take a vacation anywhere, while Carlisle and Esme were happy to have this chance to spend time with their children. Emmett could hardly contain his excitement at spending a few days in New York and while they were waiting in line to board the plane he called out to Bella.

"Bella, listen to me sing: _Start spreading the news (da-da-da-da-dah) / I'm leaving today (da-da-da-da-dah) / I want to be a part of it (da-DAH) / New York, New York / Yeah, if I can make it there / I'm gonna make it anywhere / it's up to you, New York, NEW YORK!!!_"

Emmett was doing his best imitation of one of the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, kicking his legs up in the air and causing Rosalie to roll her eyes while Bella giggled uncontrollably with Alice. Edward just shook his head, amused as always by his brother's antics.

Edward led Bella to the first class section and their row, gesturing with a flourish of his arm towards the the window seat. "After you, Miss Swan."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Cullen. What manners…" Bella batted her eyelids at Edward as she sat in the window seat. Edward chuckled as he sat in the seat next to hers, making sure her seatbelt was on before doing the same with his seatbelt for appearances sake, reminding Bella of the time she and Edward flew to Jacksonville and Edward's explanation of his contingency plan should the plane crash. After take-off they spent part of the flight identifying recognizable landmarks as they flew over the different states before Bella decided to take a nap, her head tucked into Edward's neck while he softly hummed her lullaby.

It had been an uneventful flight, except for a couple of incidents involving the Cullen women. As usual the Cullen men had attracted the attention of most of the women on the plane, especially three of the female flight attendants assigned to first class. These three women were particularly aggressive in their ploys to catch the attention of the Cullen men. Flight Attendant #1 repeatedly stopped by Emmett and Rosalie's aisle, rubbing her hand along Emmett's bicep and asking if there was _anything _she could do for him until Rosalie bluntly told her to not disturb them, which she emphasized with a low growl and a snap of her white teeth. Flight Attendant #1 jumped in surprise and sped off. She did not return to their section.

Jasper ignored the female flight attendants while Alice merely laid her head on Jasper's shoulder and stared at any who tried to capture his eye.

It was far worse for Carlisle and Edward. Flight Attendant #2 kept brushing up against Carlisle, but after the fourth time Esme had had enough. She let out a barely audible growl and put her arms around Carlisle, giving Flight Attendant #2 a slightly predatory smile and flash of her bright teeth. It was enough to convince the woman to keep her eyes and distance from Carlisle. Carlisle had a smug look on his face, enjoying Esme's possessiveness.

The worst was Flight Attendant #3, a particularly clueless female who very much reminded Edward of Jessica Stanley. She kept trying to catch Edward's eye while silly and delusional fantasies flashed through her shallow mind, causing Edward to tense and do his best to block out her thoughts. He refused to acknowledge her presence and wasn't in the mood to put up with it any longer. Just as he was about to take action, he felt Bella lift her head from his shoulder. He hadn't realized that she'd woken from her nap. She'd been staring at the flight attendant who suddenly realized she'd caught the attention of Edward's companion. The flight attendant smirked and gave Bella a dismissive expression that said, "So, what are you going to do about it?" Edward watched as Bella's eyes suddenly flashed with a feral intensity as she stared back at the flight attendant, her eyes boring into the flight attendant's eyes as she unconsciously flexed her hands around Edward's biceps. Edward was riveted by the scene playing out, watching as Bella staked her claim. Bella continued to lock stares with the flight attendant and without losing eye contact rose and sat in Edward's lap, pulling his head to hers and giving him a passionate kiss, all the while continuing to stare at the flight attendant. Bella finally released Edward's lips and continued staring back at the flight attendant, a challenge in her expression which said, "You had better leave while you can. THIS MAN IS MINE." The flight attendant finally snapped out of her daze and quickly scurried away.

Edward sat motionless in his seat, stunned, as Bella turned to him with a fierce look on her face. "I'm not going to apologize for claiming what's mine!"

Edward grabbed Bella and kissed her back furiously before reluctantly releasing her lips. "Oh, I wasn't going to ask for an apology. It's like I've told you before, I love it when my little lamb shows her teeth!" He drove home the comment by growling in her ear.

"Well, you'd better get used to it because I think I'm going to be using them more often in the future!" Bella said as she glared in the direction of Flight Attendant #3 who bumped into the snack cart in her haste to get away from Bella.

Just as Edward was going to pull her in for another kiss, cheers were heard coming their siblings.

**Rosalie: **"All right, Bella! I guess you've been taking notes, watching your big sister deal with those harpies out for my Emmett!"

**Emmett: **"Yeah, Bella! Way to send the tramp packing, little sis!"

**Jasper: **"Nice one, Bella! Who knew shy, quiet little Bella was so territorial! By the way, I need you to calm Edward down…on the Jasper Cullen "Lust-O-Meter" his reading is 99% out of 100%…"

**Alice: **"Oh, Bella! I saw that one happening, but it was even better watching it unfold live! Sorry I didn't give you advance warning!"

Carlisle and Esme were smiling at Bella and she started to blush as she realized the whole family had witnessed the scene, as well as her realization that the incident had been a turn-on for both her and Edward.

Edward couldn't help but think, _This beautiful woman is a constant surprise to me. How did I get so lucky as to win her love? _

Bella sat back in her window seat, but kept her grip on Edward's arm. Edward couldn't contain the feeling of euphoria that spread throughout his body as he recalled how she claimed him as hers for all to see. Bella leaned her head on his shoulder, her brown eyes now glowing softly at him. Edward's expression was tender as he put his head against hers and they both closed their eyes as if sleeping. He nuzzled her hair and she instinctively tightened her grip on his arm. Edward had a content smile on his face as he replayed the scene in his mind while Bella resumed her nap.

Carlisle and Esme watched the young couple from their row across from Edward and Bella. It was impossible for Esme to contain her happy thoughts; she loved watching Edward as he watched over Bella, happy he had finally found his mate. She and Carlisle were thankful for the beautiful young woman who had come into their lives and made their family complete.

The plane finally landed at JFK around 3:00 p.m., where a limousine was waiting to take them to The Four Seasons Hotel.

When the limo pulled up to the hotel the Cullens eagerly watched for Bella's reaction. They were not disappointed. Bella could only stare in awe. She had never seen anything as magnificent as the old hotel. Alice came to stand next to Bella and linked her arm with Bella's. More than anything she wanted this trip to be perfect for Bella and she hadn't looked ahead to see Bella's reaction upon their arrival in New York because she wanted to experience it first-hand. "So, Bella, what do you think?"

Bella turned to Alice, barely able to take her eyes from the hotel. "Alice. Wow. This is amazing. It's so beautiful…"

Alice gently squeezed Bella's arm. "I'm so glad you like it, Bella. The views from the rooms are amazing. Most of the major sights are within walking distance, as is the shopping!"

Bella smiled at Alice, for once not begrudging her excitement for shopping. "It's amazing. Thank you, Alice."

"Oh, I'm not the one you should be thanking. Jasper is the one who chose the hotel for our stay." Alice latched her other arm onto Jasper as he joined the two of them. He had an almost embarrassed look on his face.

"Jasper, it's perfect," Bella said with a smile on her face. "Thank you so much."

Edward had come up behind Bella and had his arm around her waist. "Jasper, it was the perfect choice."

Jasper looked sheepish, but pleased while Alice beamed at him proudly. "I just thought this hotel would be a place you would enjoy staying at, Bella. It's the tallest hotel at 52-stories with superb views of Central Park and the surrounding skyline. It's close to many of the major attractions and as Alice asked me to point out, after a long day of sightseeing you're going to appreciate the hotel's huge Florentine marble bathrooms with deep-soaking tubs!"

Everyone started laughing, including Bella and Edward. "Yes, Alice knows me well. This human will definitely appreciate it after a day of trying to keep up with the Cullens!"

Jasper had a little smirk on his face as he pointed in the direction of Emmett and Rosalie. "And there is one other feature that made it an easy choice. The rooms are said to be soundproof so none of us will be subjected to Emmett and Rosalie and whatever is going on in their room!"

For a moment Emmett and Rosalie looked shocked before Rosalie smugly remarked, "And your point is, Jasper?"

At that moment Emmett decided to continue his song. _"I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep! And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap!"_

All of the Cullens, including Bella, started laughing again. Carlisle gestured towards the entrance. "Alright, Cullens, shall we?"

The family entered the hotel where Bella again could only stare in wonder at the beautiful lobby with its marble floors, soaring columns and backlit onyx ceiling. Edward smiled as he watched her reaction, whispering, "Only the best for you, love…" before taking her hand and leading her into the main lobby area.

Carlisle and Esme checked in and the family was escorted to the suites they had booked for the weekend. Edward led Bella into their room which had a view of Central Park and the skyline. Bella stepped out onto the terrace and took in the views as Edward tipped the valet. He came up behind her on the terrace, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to kiss the side of her face.

"So, love, what do you really think? Not too overwhelming, is it?" Edward was genuinely curious, not wanting Bella to be uncomfortable with the elegance of their surroundings.

Bella sighed and turned in Edward's arms, resting her head on his chest. "It's wonderful, Edward. I love it."

Edward let out a sigh of relief. "Whew! That's a relief!"

Bella laughed. "Don't tell me you were worried about my reaction, Edward. I told you, I've turned over a new leaf and I'm going to start appreciating these things."

"I know, I was just checking," he teased. "Come on, I want you to enjoy a nice long soak in the tub while I order room service. Once you've had a bite to eat we're going out. Alice made reservations for all of us to see "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theatre tonight."

"Oh my god, Edward! I have always wanted to see that play!" Bella was practically jumping up and down in her excitement.

"I know, love, and that's why we're going to see it. I told you I was going to spoil you outrageously during this trip. This is all about you and how you fit in with the Cullens. We're going to spend the whole trip proving it to you."

Bella hugged Edward, sighing in contentment before pulling away to soak in the beautiful tub.

**********

The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind of activity for Bella. Alice had crammed in as many sights as she could fit in without exhausting Bella. The Cullens explored the city, spending Saturday morning walking through lower Manhattan, and that afternoon they took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island where Carlisle showed Bella his name in one of the island's first shipping manifests. In the evening Edward took Bella for a romantic moonlit carriage ride through Central Park, before heading back to the Four Seasons and another relaxing soak in the tub for Bella.

Sunday flew by as they continued exploring the city, visiting various museums, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square and of course shopping on Madison Avenue. For Emmett, no trip to the city would be complete without a visit to Toys R Us Time Square, where the biggest of all kids could be a kid!

It was a fast paced weekend, but Bella enjoyed every minute of it. Edward made sure Bella got to sleep early Sunday evening, as they needed to get an early start to the airport for the flight to Heathrow. After her soak in the tub she snuggled up to Edward and quickly fell asleep as Edward spent the night holding her and watching her sleep, content to wait for her to wake. All in all it had been the perfect weekend and he was looking forward to three more perfect weeks with his Bella in London.

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A/N: Next up, London! Are you enjoying the story so far? R/R, thanks!


	7. London Calling

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: I want to give a shout out to AnEmotionalVampire and XtwilightXobsessedXx for their help in clarifying a few details for me in this chapter. I really appreciate it! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

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**Chapter Six: London Calling**

Bella felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder and blinked her eyes open to find Edward trying to wake her. They'd been in the air for most of the day and she had fallen asleep halfway across the Atlantic. Edward let her sleep, knowing she'd had a busy weekend in New York City and would need all her energy for the coming weeks in England, but now that they were near the end of the flight he didn't want her to miss her first view of the city.

"Bella, love, we're going to be flying into Heathrow shortly. I thought you might like to get your first look at the city."

Edward watched as Bella nodded eagerly and stretched her sore muscles. "How much longer before we're in view of the city?"

Edward looked over at Alice in the row behind them. "Alice, can you give us a time frame?"

Alice closed her eyes, before they popped back open and she said in her bell-like voice, "We'll be there in 9 minutes and 23 seconds."

Bella glanced out the window, noticing the gray skies. "It looks like perfect weather…" she said as she smiled at Edward, before whispering under her breath, "for vampires…"

"Yes, love, perfect weather. There will be no sparkling Cullens today," he teased as he nodded towards the window. "We're just outside the city limits. The plane will be turning shortly and then you'll be able to make out some of the most recognizable landmarks."

The plane started its gentle arc above the city and suddenly parts of the city came into view. Suddenly the Thames River came into view, the famous river winding through the heart of London.

"Edward, look! It's the Thames! I can't believe I'm actually seeing this!" Bella whispered excitedly. "Is that the Tower Bridge?" she asked Edward, pointing towards a bridge in the distance.

Edward leaned over Bella's shoulder to look out the window. "Yes, it is. And across the Thames is the Tower of London."

Alice was peering out her own window. "Look, Bella, there's the London Eye! We are definitely visiting that attraction! According to the website you can see around 25 miles from the top as far as Windsor on a clear day. Or maybe I should say _40 km_ since Europe is on the metric system! Yes, we are definitely going to check out the London Eye!"

Jasper had leaned over Alice's shoulder to look at the London Eye. "Bella, if you look a little further you can see the Houses of Parliament as well."

Emmett called out from his seat, "Who cares about old buildings and guys with wigs, Jasper! I'm looking for the football stadiums! Now those are attractions!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but had a fond smile nonetheless for her husband. "Did you catch sight of Big Ben?"

Emmett looked at Rosalie, waggling his eyebrows. "Aw, Rosie, why would you want to see Big Ben when you can see "Big Emmett" right here?" Rosalie let out an unladylike snort while the rest of the Cullens scrunched their faces in disgust.

Bella turned in her seat to glare at Emmett. "Ew! Too much information, Emmett!"

"Hey, can I help it if I'm a stone cold…"

Esme interrupted before Emmett could finish the last word. "Emmett Cullen, if you know what's good for you, you will _not _finish that sentence."

Emmett ducked his head like a good little boy. "Geez, Mom, I was only going to say "stone cold...good little Emmett…"

"Oh, sure you were, Emmett…" Alice said in a sarcastic tone, tapping her head to remind him she knew precisely what he was going to say.

Edward drew Bella's attention back towards the window, pointing towards the airport which was now visible from their side of the plane. "There's Heathrow. We'll be landing shortly."

At that moment a voice came over the intercom asking all passengers to put on their seatbelts for the landing. Ten minutes later they were on the ground, coming to a stop at the British Airways gate and everyone started to rise from their seats, getting their things together as they started making their way out of the plane.

Bella took one last look out the window, noticing a slight drizzle had begun to fall. She wondered how much rain there would be while they were in England, as always worried about anything that might affect the Cullens. What if the weather was sunny the whole time? How would they be able to move about easily if the sun was out during the day? "Carlisle, there are gray skies and drizzle right now, but isn't it generally sunny during the summers? Will it be a problem?"

Carlisle glanced quickly out the window, taking note of sky. "London weather is unpredictable, Bella, even in the summer. While we'll definitely see some sunny and warm days, it's not unusual for rain to start falling when you least expect it."

"Don't worry, Bella. I've already looked ahead and it's going to be mostly gray skies and light rain for the next 10 days, with a few afternoons of sunshine. It's not going to be a problem for us. If the sun comes out we'll just pop into a museum or spend the afternoon inside and wait for the clouds to come back!" Alice whispered to Bella as she and Jasper made their way down the aisle towards the exit.

They made their way through customs and were now waiting for the limousine that Alice had arranged to take them to where they were going to be staying while in London. Edward and Bella were standing slightly apart from the other Cullens, talking quietly about the attractions Bella wanted to see when Edward suddenly let out a low groan and began pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What's wrong?" Bella whispered.

"Emmett…" Edward sighed. "Bella, I think there's something you should know about your future brother-in-law. For some unknown reason Emmett can't help but break out into song whenever he's on vacation. Anytime, anyplace, wherever the urge strikes."

"Are you kidding me? Anytime?" Bella asked, giggling as she remembered Emmett singing Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' while they were in New York, complete with Rockettes-style high kicks.

Jasper sauntered over to where Bella and Edward were standing. "I'm sorry to say he's not, Bella. You've never vacationed with us before, but it's exactly as Edward says. The guy cannot control himself. If we're lucky he'll just confine himself to singing and leave the dancing out of it."

"It's true, Bella." Alice had joined them. "You should have seen Emmett the last time we visited Disneyland. It was in the early 80's and we were in L.A. because Carlisle was attending a seminar. We thought it would be fun to spend the day at Disneyland. It's not called the 'Happiest Place on the Earth' for nothing because Emmett was happy, alright; he was like a kid in a candy shop! He insisted on buying a Goofy hat to wear around the park, and he made us go on the 'It's A Small World' ride. The _entire _time he was singing "It's A Small World" at the top of his lungs. We were hunched down in our seats, trying to pretend he wasn't one of our party when suddenly all the little kids in the surrounding boats started singing along with Emmett!" Alice paused as she relived the scene in her mind. "Then he insisted on us all getting on the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride. Well, after sitting in the same boat with him during the 'Small World' ride, there was _no way _Edward, Jasper and I were going to share a boat with him, so we made Emmett and Rosalie get on the boat in front of ours. As the boats started moving and came to the first drop Emmett turned around in his seat and mouthed, "Watch me sing," and when his boat disappeared down the drop and people were screaming, Emmett's voice could be heard singing "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, a pirate's life for me" all the way down!"

Bella was laughing uncontrollably at this point, drawing Emmett's attention.

"What? So I like to sing. I can't help if I break out into song when I'm feeling happy," Emmett said with a big grin on his face. "And I feel a song coming on right now!"

Everyone slapped a hand to their face and started groaning as Emmett began singing 'London Calling' by The Clash:

_London calling to the faraway towns  
Now war is declared - and battle come down… _

_The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in  
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin  
Engines stop running, but I have no fear  
Cause London is drowning and I, live by the river…_

_London calling at the top of the dial  
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?  
London Calling_

Jasper looked at Edward. "At least this time he didn't start playing on an imaginary set of drums…"

Suddenly Alice was standing in front of Emmett, poking him in the chest.

"I knew it! You stole my 'What a Girl Wants' DVD! I was going to watch that movie with Bella before we left Forks! That's where you heard this song!"

"Ow, Alice, quit poking me! And I only _borrowed _it," Emmett replied, not even trying to deny he had taken the movie. "It's a good song… I liked the movie too!"

Alice only shook her head. "Whatever, Emmett, but I want that DVD back!" She walked away from Emmett as the limousine pulled up to the curb. Everyone got in while the driver loaded the bags into the trunk.

"So, where are we staying?" Bella asked Edward as everyone took a seat.

"Didn't Edward tell you?" asked Alice from where she was sitting with Jasper. "Carlisle and Esme own a house in Knightsbridge. We'll be staying there while we're in London. Oh my god, Bella, the house is fantastic and do you want to know what I consider one of the best things about it? It's near Harrods!!!" Alice squealed as she thought about all the shopping opportunities in the near future.

Bella cringed at the mention of "Harrods", not wanting to know what Alice had in store for her during this trip. Instead she turned to Edward, putting a small pout on her face. "You didn't tell me the Cullens owned a house in the city. What else have you been keeping from me, Mr. Cullen?"

"Don't be upset, love. It never came up in conversation," he teased as he put his arm around her. "Besides, it was bad enough when you found out we had homes in Alaska and New York!" He didn't mention that Esme owned a small, private island as well. Bella was unaware that Esme was going to let Edward and Bella honeymoon on her island. Edward wanted it to be a surprise.

Carlisle was smiling as he watched the interaction between Bella and Edward. For so many years he had felt a small amount of guilt for having changed Edward, watching Edward struggle to accept his new existence, and knowing that Edward felt a tremendous amount of self-loathing and hopelessness by becoming a vampire. Edward couldn't see the goodness in his soul that Carlisle and Esme saw every day. Carlisle had faith that Edward would in time find the peace he had found in his own life, especially after he'd found Esme, but the decades passed and Edward expressed no interest in finding a mate to share his existence. That is, not until one spring day when a young human girl named Bella Swan tripped her way into Edward's life, and into his heart. If Bella was still feeling insecure of her place with the Cullens after the debacle of last fall, Carlisle was determined to prove to his new daughter that they had no intention of ever again letting her out of their lives, or their hearts.

"Bella, Esme and I bought our London home about 20 years ago. We'd decided it would be a good idea to own a house in the city, for those occasions when we visit or when our European friends need a place to stay. Not to mention Esme needed another project to keep her busy, isn't that so, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Carlisle, you know I can't resist a decorating opportunity!" said Esme with a smile.

Edward turned to Bella, wanting to explain further. "At first Alice was going to book rooms at The Savoy or The Connaught, just so you could enjoy the experience of staying in one of London's grand hotels, but I thought you would be more comfortable staying at the house on this trip."

"Okay, Mr. Cullen, you're off the hook," said Bella with a smile before her jaw dropped open as the limo pulled up to a stunning 4 story white stucco house in a garden square. "Is this your house?" she said to Esme and Carlisle.

Esme smiled as she watched Bella's reaction. "Yes, it is. Do you like it?"

Bella tore her eyes away from the house to look at Esme. "Do I like it? I love it. It's…it's beautiful, Esme."

"Thank you, Bella. We're pretty fond of it as well. And it's not just _my _home or Carlisle's for that matter. It's _your _home, too. You're a member of this family now and it's just as much yours as it is ours," Esme answered as she reached over to squeeze Bella's hand.

Bella was speechless, not knowing what to say, and her eyes starting watering as she heard the underlying message in Esme's words, the very words Edward had said to her that night she'd had the nightmare: _You are a Cullen; you belong to us and we belong to you._

Edward stepped out onto the sidewalk and offered his hand to Bella to help her out of the limo. Noticing the tears running down Bella's check, Edward pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her as he bent down to whisper in her ear, "Welcome home, love."

* * *

A/N: Let me know what you think, just click on the button below. Thanks!


	8. Macho Men & Single Ladies in the Morning

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter Eight: Macho Men and Single Ladies in the Morning**

It was 7:30 a.m. and Bella was still asleep in the huge bed, snuggled up under the warm comforter. She was dreaming and could hear someone singing a song in the distance. It was a 1970's disco song and the voice sounded very much like one Emmett Cullen. She struggled to hear the words the voice was singing. _Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey! / Macho, macho man (macho man) / I've got to be, a macho man / Macho, macho man / I've got to be a macho! Ow…._

Bella's eyes popped open and she lifted her head from the pillow and noticed Edward wasn't in bed or in the room. _Wow! Weird dream, _she thought to herself as she sat up, rubbing the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes. Suddenly she heard the voice and the song again, still faint but definitely there. _It wasn't a dream…_ Bella quickly got out of bed to investigate. She very quietly tiptoed across the carpeted floor to the door and just as quietly started down the stairs. The voice kept getting louder and as she came to the second level landing she noticed the door to Rosalie and Emmett's room was open and Alice, Jasper and Edward were standing in the open doorway trying not to laugh.

Edward saw Bella and quickly went to her, reaching his arm around Bella's waist and bending down to give her a good morning kiss before leading her back to where Alice and Jasper were standing. "What's going on?" she whispered to Edward. "I woke up and thought I heard Emmett singing…"

"Sorry, love. I didn't think the singing would be loud enough to wake you," Edward whispered back. All of them were trying to be quiet so as not to alert Rosalie or Emmett to their presence.

Jasper gestured towards the open door. "Yes, Bella, Emmett is singing again and this time he and Rosalie are acting out one of their fantasies. Emmett's pretending to be a Macho Man-slash-Rod Stewart and Rosalie is his Beyoncé." He uncharacteristically rolled his eyes, Edward doing the same as he elaborated.

"This is one of the things you're lucky enough to miss when you stay overnight at the house, love." Edward whispered again. "When Emmett and Rosalie start doing their little "routines" everyone leaves the house. I'm lucky enough to be at your house most nights, but when we're on vacation it becomes a little more complicated. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide!"

Bella looked at Edward. "So when I stay overnight at your house you have to put up with _this_ while I sleep?" She felt terrible that he had to suffer through it while everyone else was able to make their escape.

"Don't worry, love, I've become very good at tuning them out, especially with you there to distract me!"

"So, why are we standing in their wide open doorway?" Bella whispered, curious as always.

Alice answered, "Well, in the Cullen family what happens behind _closed _doors stays behind closed doors and whatever happens _in view of wide-open _doors is fair game, all bets are off!" Alice laughed softly, before turning to everyone and saying "Ooh, they're going to start singing again!"

"Wait!" Bella whispered urgently. "Should we be doing this? This is Emmett and Rosalie we're talking about and if they're acting out a fantasy, in their own bedroom I might add, there is no way it's going to be a G-rated! I don't think I want to see this!" Bella said, turning to go back to hers and Edward's room.

Alice giggled, gently pulling Bella back into the fold. "It'll be okay, Bella. They won't even know we're here. Do you see the big glass block wall separating the bathroom and dressing room from the rest of the bedroom? You can make out their figures, but they can't make out ours if we keep still. It'll be a G-rated performance, trust me, but will be funnier than heck! Don't you feel bad, Bella Swan! If they didn't want to risk viewers they should have made sure their door was closed!"

Bella looked at Edward with a raised eyebrow, but Edward smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, love. Alice is right. It'll be okay, just good for laughs."

"You know what would make it really good for laughs?" Jasper asked pulling out the small camcorder he had been hiding behind his back. "A permanent record for our future viewing enjoyment!"

Everyone laughed, including Bella, as they exchanged evil grins. "Okay," Edward whispered, "Start rolling, Jasper, but remember, stay out of view, no sound and no movement."

Bella peeked around Edward's shoulder, waiting for Emmett and Rosalie to start singing. She didn't have to wait long.

"Rosie-baby, your Macho Man is here!" Emmett growled. Through the glass block wall they could see him striking a "Superman" pose, while Rosalie circled around him, running a hand over his bicep.

"Ooh, Macho Man, what huge muscles you have!" Rosalie purred, causing the secret onlookers to shake from their silent laughter. "Show me what else you've got, baby!"

Emmett pretended to hold a microphone in one hand, swiveling his hips as he started singing:

_If you want my body, and you think I'm sexy  
Come on, sugar, let me know  
If you really need me, just reach out and touch me  
Come on, honey, tell me so._

Emmett started to channel his inner-Rod Stewart, jumping off the small ottoman as as he dropped to his knees in front of Rosalie. Bella started to turn red in her efforts not to laugh, causing Edward to put his hand over her mouth to keep her from giving them away. Just then Alice whispered, "Rosalie is going to channel her inner- Beyoncé and Rod Stewart there is going to back her like Justin Timberlake when they appeared on Saturday Night Live!"

Sure enough Rosalie stood up and slinked towards the middle of the glass block wall and started dancing Beyoncé-style and with Emmett dancing the part of a back-up dancer ala Justin Timberlake-style and slapping his bum:

_If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it  
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it  
Don't be mad once you see that he want it  
If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it_

_Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh._

_Don't treat me to the things of this world  
I'm not that kind of girl  
Your love is what I prefer, what I deserve  
Is a man that makes me, then takes me  
And delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond  
Pull me into your arms  
Say I'm the one you WANT  
If you don't, you'll be alone  
And like a ghost I'll be gone_

_Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh, oh oh oh._

Alice started pulling them back away from the door. "Let's get out of here! They're coming out from behind the wall!" She very quickly and quietly pulled the door so that it was slightly ajar while Edward picked Bella up and ran her up to Jasper and Alice's room with Alice and Jasper close on his heels.

Bella and Alice both fell down on the bed, holding onto their sides as they finally let the laughter escape. Jasper and Edward were not much better, shoulders shaking as they too laughed at what had just happened.

"Oh god, I can't believe I just witnessed that!" Bella said, gasping for air as tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"It's just another day in the life of the Cullens, sweetheart!" Edward laughed as he wiped the tears from her eyes.

Jasper held up the camcorder, still laughing. "That's right, and when the time is right we'll show this footage to Macho Man Rod and his Lady Beyoncé!" Another wave of hilarity hit the room, courtesy of Jasper. "It's these little moments, Bella, only a Cullen gets to experience. And you, my dear sister, are most definitely a Cullen!"

"Aw, Jazz! That is so sweet and it sums up how I feel as well!" Alice cried as she wrapped her arms around her husband, a proud smile on her face. Edward was also smiling, watching Bella as Jasper and Alice pulled her and Edward into a group hug.

Bella had a smile on her face a mile-wide as she heard again Edward's words: _You are a Cullen; you belong to us and we belong to you._

"For eternity," Edward whispered in Bella's ear.

* * *

A/N: Just a little silliness before our London adventures start in earnest. Thanks to rowzg for her Single Ladies song suggestion!


	9. Towers and Grizzlies and Ghosts, Oh My!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter Nine: Towers and Grizzlies and Ghosts, Oh My! **

After Alice, Jasper, Edward and Bella had stopped laughing over the impromptu Emmett/Rosalie show they'd witnessed this morning, Edward and Bella made their way up to their room to get ready for the day.

"Edward, what's the plan for the day?" Bella asked Edward as she went to the closet to select an outfit for the day. The forecast was cloudy and cool with a slight possibility of rain, and she wanted to make sure she was dressed appropriately. Alice's voice came floating from her bedroom on the second level, "I've already numbered your outfits for you, Bella. Today's outfit is Number 4. Trust me!"

Bella shook her head, grumbling about being treated like a small child who didn't know how to dress herself. But then she laughed inside, realizing her thoughts were actually childish and Alice was only trying to help as usual. She turned her attention back to Edward. "I'm sorry, Edward, what was the plan again?"

Edward walked up to her, putting his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "The plan, love, is to first get you some breakfast. After that, we're at Alice's mercy. She's the tour director on this holiday."

Alice's voice could be heard again from her bedroom. "I heard that, Edward Cullen! And don't you forget it!"

Bella and Edward both laughed, knowing it was wiser to give in to Alice than go against her. Edward turned back to Bella.

"Right… I'm going to start on your breakfast while _you, _soon-to-be Mrs. Cullen, have your 'human moment.'" He picked Bella up and put her over his shoulder, causing her to squeal as he walked with her to the bathroom door. "Don't be too long, love," he said as he lightly patted her on the bum making her to squeal again. Setting her down in front of the door he planted a quick kiss on her forehead and made his way downstairs to start on Bella's breakfast.

Bella quickly showered and got ready and then made her way downstairs carefully, trying not to trip over her own two feet. _Whew_, she sighed in relief as she made it to the bottom of the stairs without mishap.

Bella walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Carlisle standing next to the coffeemaker while Esme was dishing up scrambled eggs and Edward was slicing fresh strawberries to go on top of the waffles he'd prepared for her.

"Good morning, everyone," Bella said in a lighthearted voice before stopping in her tracks. Carlisle, Esme and Edward had turned around at the same time and she stared at the three vampires wearing identically colored aprons that, when put together, read "KISS – THE – CHEF." Bella couldn't help but laugh as shook her head, in her mind thinking _Excellent idea _as she walked up to Edward, fully intending to follow the suggestion on the aprons. She stood on her toes and stretched up to give Edward a kiss just as he was adding the final touch of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.

"Mmm…delicious," she said, not even looking at the strawberries. Edward's head snapped up as he stared at Bella, not entirely certain if she was referring to the strawberries or himself. He got his answer when Bella winked at him before adding, "The strawberries too…"

Edward's eyes darkened as Bella squeezed his arm and lightly patted _his _bum in front of Carlisle and Esme who were trying to hide their smiles behind their hands. _How I love this woman! _He gave himself a little shake, trying to figure out how she could yet again dazzle him so effortlessly.

"Alright, let's get you seated so you can tell us how we've done." Edward led her to the table and set the waffles in front of her while Esme set the plate of scrambled eggs to her left and Carlisle placed a cup of coffee to her right.

Bella was hungry and devoured the breakfast, trying not to pay attention to the three vampires who were watching her closely as she ate. She started to blush and stopped chewing, causing Carlisle, Esme and Edward to laugh.

"Sorry, dear," said Esme said apologetically. "That was terribly rude of us to stare like that. It's just I can't remember what it was like to eat human food and even though, forgive me for saying this, it smells revolting, I get great satisfaction out of being able to make something that obviously gives you great pleasure to eat."

Bella laughed. "It's okay Esme; you would think I'd be used to it by now! Really, these are absolutely delicious. Thank you. Oh, Carlisle, the coffee is wonderful, so thank you too!"

Carlisle chuckled. "It seems my talents know no boundaries. Not only can I stitch wounds and set broken bones, I can make a mean cup of coffee as well," setting off another round of laughter.

Everyone turned towards the sound of the voices coming in the direction of the stairway. Alice and Jasper, followed by Emmett and Rosalie, were discussing places they wanted to see this morning.

"Hey, Bells! How's my favorite human doing this morning?" Emmett said in a booming voice, taking the seat opposite Bella's while Rosalie took the chair next to him. Leaning across the table he whispered conspiratorially, "So, have you made a man out of Eddie here yet?" Rosalie quickly covered her mouth to hide the quick laugh that escaped at Emmett's comment.

Edward growled as he listened to whatever it was Emmett was thinking at the moment, but other than a slight blush Bella remained calm as she replied, "Whatever, Macho Man Rod…"

Emmett looked at Bella, first in surprise and then suspicion when he heard snickers coming from Alice, Jasper and Edward. Bella stood up to take her plate to the dishwasher, a smirk on her face as she walked past Emmett and Rosalie singing quietly under her breath, "_If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it…Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh…"_

Rosalie's mouth dropped open as she realized there had been witnesses to hers and Emmett's little morning show, while Emmett sat stunned as Jasper followed Bella to the dishwasher, patting his bum ala Justin Timberlake style, Alice trailing close behind him and doing the same.

Emmett wasn't embarrassed for long, choosing instead to laugh at getting caught. "Aw, Bella, you're killing me here!" he said, smacking his head.

"Well, that's what you get for singing so loud you woke me from a very nice sleep, not to mention leaving your door open for everyone to hear." Bella replied as Edward proudly watched her take on his brother.

"You're alright, little sis." Emmett laughed, launching himself out of his chair and running over to Bella, pulling her into a one armed hug while he rubbing her head with his other hand before Edward pulled her away and into the safety of his arms.

Carlisle cleared his voice to get everyone's attention. "Alright, any suggestions for what they'd like to do or see today?"

"I want to see the Tower of London!" said Emmett.

"No, I want to go shopping! I've been dying to get to Harrods!" said Alice.

Emmett, of course, couldn't let that comment pass without a remark of his own. "Good one, Alice. _'Dying' _to get to Harrods!"

"I wouldn't mind seeing Westminster Abbey or the Churchill Museum," suggested Jasper, although one look at Alice's frowning face had him quickly changing his tune. "Hey, I know! Let's go shopping!"

Alice's frown turned into a smile as she pulled her arm through Jasper's and said, "I knew you'd see reason, Jasper. Good choice!" Jasper smiled at Alice while Emmett coughed into his hand what sounded suspiciously like, "_Whipped_!"

Bella piped up. "I'm all for the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey!" She looked at Alice and very quickly changed her mind like Jasper had. "I mean, can't wait to go shopping! Harrods, here we come." The smile she directed towards Alice looked more like a grimace, but Alice was pleased nonetheless.

"Very good, Bella. You're learning the most important lesson about being a Cullen: Shopping is always the right answer!"

"Right," said Edward and Bella at the same time, grinning at each other for being so in tune with the other that they were thinking the same things at the same time.

Rosalie tossed her head in exasperation. "Oh, come on! Are we Cullens or not? Why can't we do all three? Let's hit the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and on the way back we can stop by Harrods and the other shops."

Everyone looked at each other, checking to see if everyone was in agreement, which they were. Carlisle nodded. "Let's get this show on the road." He held his hand out to Esme and they made their way out of the kitchen to the front door.

"Shall we?" Edward said as he gallantly held out his arm for Bella to hold. Edward was always the gentleman; it was one of the traits Bella found most endearing about him. It was nice to know in today's world there were still men who still knew what the word meant, in both word and deeds.

"Let's…" Bella said as she took his arm and they followed the others out the door.

*******

They decided to save Westminster Abbey for another time, instead choosing to spend most of the day at the Tower of London. Bella was quite excited to visit the Tower, having read so much about it in books. Everyone had their own reasons for wanting to visit. Rosalie and Alice were curious to see the Crown Jewels. Jasper was eager to wander the grounds, the military man in him wanting to see the armor and weapons used during the time as wells as the massive defensive inner curtain wall and the four towers, including the White Tower, one of the most famous castle keeps in the world, built to awe, subdue and terrify. Edward and Bella were looking forward to the Yeoman Warder tour, while Carlisle took great pleasure in sharing with Esme and the others what he knew of the Tower's history, recalling his own memories of the Tower during the 1600 and 1700's.

Bella read from the pamphlet Edward handed her as they first entered the grounds.

"Did you know the Tower is London's original royal fortress? It's over 900 years old!" Bella exclaimed. "It contains the Crown Jewels and is guarded by the Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters. It says their nickname comes from their positions in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table!"

The Cullens joined the next Yeoman Warders tour group, following the guide as he recited the history of the great fortress.

"Our tour will take us past Traitor's Gate, the White tower, the Bloody Tower, the ravens and the chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula," the tour guide said as he led them past the Traitor's Gate. "I'd like to take this time to explain an interesting fact regarding the moat. The moat was partially designed to flush out sewage into the tidal River Thames, but never really fulfilled its purpose other than creating an absolutely horrid stench that permeated the surrounding area for quite some time. Thankfully, under the Duke of Wellington's watch it was drained."

Emmett of course could not let this slide. "Hey Rosie, which do you think would be worse? Living surrounded by the stench from sewage, or the stench clinging to the humans who lived surrounded by the smell?"

Rosalie snorted. "The stench from sewage, hands down."

Alice was listening and added her comments. "Just imagine accidentally falling into the water. Ew!"

Alice glanced over at Jasper and was happy to see him enjoying the tour; being surrounded by so many humans would normally make him very uncomfortable as he tried to control his thirst, but there was so much history and information to take in that he was able to concentrate fully on the history of the Tower.

Jasper caught the eye of the tour guide. "It seems so tranquil, peaceful even, it's hard to imagine it as a place of terror."

The tour guide replied, "Yes, sir. This was a place of terror and turmoil for many citizens and famous prisoners. Many, many poor souls spent the rest of their lives or were executed in the Tower. A few of the famous names include Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes."

The group followed the guide through the arch under the Bloody Tower where the guard pointed out the Tower's ravens. "According to legend, Charles II was the first king to insist the ravens should be protected and ever since, six ravens must be at the fortress or the kingdom will fall."

Emmett's eyes lit up, immediately causing Edward to growl. "Emmett, don't even think about it. No snacks on the tour!"

Emmett folded his arms and put on a sulky face. "I say, old chap, you're no fun!"

Carlisle decided to step in at this point. "Needless to say, you _will_ leave the ravens alone, Emmett."

Next up was the Tower Green, where they executed high-ranking or popular individuals whose death might incite strong opposition from the general public.

"Hey Bella, did you know the Tower of London is thought to be the most haunted place in the world," Emmett suddenly said as Edward looked at him suspiciously. Knowing Emmett as well he did, Emmett only learned facts and details about a place if he had a prank planned. Alice also looked suspicious, but Emmett only shrugged his shoulders. "What? I like reading about haunted places. It's not like vampires can be scared by ghosts, now, can they?"

The tour continued as the guide started talking about the Tower being the most haunted building in the world. Emmett turned around, pointed to his chest and mouthed to the other Cullens_, "What did I tell you, the most haunted building in the world!" _

Emmett's attention was immediately captured when the tour guide started talking about a phantom bear that had been seen at the Tower. "Legend has it that a huge ghostly bear appeared by the Martin Tower, scaring a guard so badly he dropped dead from shock! What we do know for certain is at least two bears had lived at the Tower, both the first of their kind to be seen in England."

Emmett whispered soft enough for only the vampires and Bella to hear, "I wonder if they were _irritable_ _grizzlies_."

The Cullens were hard pressed not to laugh at this reference to Emmett's favorite treat, but the reference to ghosts was starting to spook Bella. Edward noticed her hands were getting cold and her heart was starting to beat faster. "Bella, love, what's wrong?"

Bella whispered back. "It's nothing," before catching the look on Edward's face, knowing he could see right through her. _Interesting choice of words, _Bella thought to herself. She sighed. "Okay, I'm a little spooked by the whole ghost thing."

Edward was highly amused. "Silly Bella, only you would worry about ghosts while surrounded by seven vampires who are considerably more dangerous and more real than any ghosts or phantom grizzly bears! Not to mention that I would never let anything harm you." He bent down to kiss her cheek, his crooked grin making her weak in the knees and thankful she was holding on to his arm for support.

"You're right, I'm being silly. I know they're not real, but then I never would have believed vampires were real either!"

The others were discreetly listening to Bella and Edward and she could see them smiling at her comments.

Emmett was also listening and saw the perfect opportunity to spook Bella and the other tourists. He gestured for Rosalie to stay with him as he allowed the group to precede them as they made their way through the chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula. He could hear the tour guide explaining the history of the chapel. "It is also rumored the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn walks around carrying her head under her arm."

Emmett noticed Bella shiver while listening to their guide talk about the other ghosts that had reportedly been seen over the years. _Hehehe, _Emmett thought, _time to have a little fun with the human…_

Bella jumped as she heard a ghostly voice singing a strange song and she held on tightly to Edward's arm. The other tourists also stopped in their tracks, becoming nervous as they wondered if they had happened upon one of the ghosts singing a ghostly lament. Edward suddenly tensed, eyes narrowed as he looked towards the back of the group, but Bella was too distracted, struggling to hear the words the voice was saying:

_I'm Henry the Eighth I am,_

_Henry the Eighth I am, I am,_

_I got married to the widow next door,_

_She's been married seven times before,_

_And every one was an Henry (Henry),_

_She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam),_

_I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry,_

_Henry the Eighth I am_

_Second verse, same as the first!_

"Emmett!" all of the Cullens whispered loudly as Emmett came around the corner, laughing. Bella relaxed as she realized the "ghost" was Emmett.

"Oh come on, it's just a joke! Where's your sense of humor?" he asked, looking at Bella.

"Ha, ha, ha. Good one, Emmett." Bella said, an unconvincing smile on her face, while Edward glared at Emmett for making Bella uncomfortable. Alice was not entirely happy with Emmett either. She was going to keep an eye on him. There was no way she was going to let him spoil Bella's vacation with immature pranks. _I may have to have a little discussion with Emmett, _she thought.

The tour ended at that point, with the guard pointing them in the direction of the queue lining up to see the Crown Jewels. Fortunately the crowds were small due to a carnival taking place in the neighborhood that day. Venturing inside the Jewel House the Cullens were able to walk right through the holding areas and straight to the display. Nothing had prepared Bella for the dazzling array of crowns, orbs and scepters represented by over 23,000 gems.

"Gosh, look at that…the Imperial State Crown." Bella said in awe. "It says it's made up of over 2,800 diamonds and hundreds of other precious gemstones."

Alice was rolling back and forth on her toes. "Ooh, I can't wait to go shopping!"

They continued on to where exhibitions were set up. Jasper was spellbound by the displays of armor and weaponry used by Henry VIII. "Amazing…we soldiers in the Civil War thought we had it difficult fighting in our uniforms, but the sheer size and scale of some of this armor makes me wonder how it was even possible to move in these suits!"

From the exhibition area they continued walking along the East Wall Walk where Jasper explored the inner wall and its four towers. Jasper pointed out some of the stones etched with the names of one-time prisoners, as well as plaques explaining the many uses of the towers through the ages.

Suddenly the sensitive hearing of the Cullens picked up on the sound of Bella's stomach growling. Bella blushed while Edward laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, love. I can't believe I lost track of time like that. Let's go get you something to eat."

"Yeah!" yelled Emmett, punching the air with his fist. "Time to feed the human!"

"Let's go!" said Alice, having already looked ahead to see what Bella was going to want to eat. "She needs her energy for what's next on the agenda: shopping!" The other Cullens were laughing at Alice's enthusiasm, while Bella put her hand to her forehead and moaned, "Oh no, no, no…"

Overall it was a very happy group of Cullens that left the Tower of London, making their way back to Brompton Road.

* * *

A/N: Unfortunately I've never had the privilege of touring the Tower of London, but through power of the internet I was able to pull some fantastic information from the Historic Royal Palaces website, and some other sites. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but please forgive this American if you find something is not quite right!

I'm feverishly working on the remaining chapters of this story so that I can update by the weekend. The next chapters will be chapters focusing on each of the Cullens with Bella (i.e. Rosalie/Bella, Emmett/Bella, Jasper/Bella, Alice/Bella, etc.), and for the most part will be very light-hearted. I'm trying very hard to turn them out quickly so please forgive me if I don't respond to your PMs as fast as I normally try to respond. My only excuse is I'm desperate to finish Choices so that I can get started on the other story that so many of you have told me you're eagerly anticipating… the sequel to Punk'd…Cullen Style! I would love for you to leave a quick review, just click below! Thanks!


	10. Alice in LondonLand

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write! I've always wanted to see an Alice vs. Human Fashionista confrontation and thought, why not do it in this chapter? Oh, and a big 'thanks' to AnEmotionalVampire for some very funny suggestions for the shoe-shopping incident in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Alice in London-Land  
**

Bella was sleeping rather peacefully when she felt someone shaking her shoulder. A perky and cheerful voice was calling her name. "Bella…wakey-wakey! Time to get up! We've got a full day of shopping ahead and we need to get going."

After a spending yesterday morning touring the Tower of London and the afternoon shopping at Harrods, Bella was exhausted and all she wanted was to have a lie-in. Bella reached out an arm and swatted in the direction of the voice before grabbing a pillow and putting it over her head as she mumbled, "Go away, Alice…"

"Now, now, Bella, is that any way to treat your favorite sister?" Alice asked reproachfully as she scrunched her face. Seeing that Bella wasn't going to move, Alice decided it was time to call out the big guns. "Don't make me have Emmett come in here and sing to you, Bella!"

As if on cue Emmett popped his head into the open doorway. "Did I just hear someone ask for a song?"

Bella jumped up, scrambling out of the bed. "NO! NO SINGING! I'm up, I'm up!"

Alice smiled. "Now that's much better. I knew you'd see reason."

"Alice..." Bella moaned. "Why do we have to go shopping again? We were at Harrods for hours yesterday! I'm never going to be able to see a picture of that Mohammad al-Fayed without wanting to castigate the man for owning such a place of sheer torture!"

"Bella, we're not going to Harrods this time. I have _serious _shopping in mind this time…" Alice started to explain before being interrupted by Bella.

"_Serious shopping_?" Bella squeaked. "Are you kidding me? What was it we were doing yesterday at Harrods?" Bella couldn't believe it. "Alice, I probably should have asked you this the first time you made me go shopping with you, but is there like a "Fujita scale" you go by, so that I can at least be forewarned on a scale of 1 to 5 how much damage we're looking at?"

"Very funny, Bella, but that's a great idea! I'll have to give that one some thought. In the meantime, I'll use the Fujita Scale as a reference point for you. On a scale of F-0 meaning mild shopping and an F-5 meaning major "put a dent in your wallet" shopping, Bond Street is an F-5! You first F-5, Bella!" Alice had a fanatical gleam in her eye as she imagined all the shops they were going to visit today.

Bella's heart began to race as she imagined an what an F-5 shopping day with Alice would be like. Alice started laughing. "It's not that bad, Bella! Bond Street has one of the highest concentrations of designer shops in the world: Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Armani, and Versace! And then there's Cartier, Tiffany and Asprey! It's shopping heaven! So hurry up, get dressed, Outfit #10! You're going to want to look very stylish today, I can promise you that! I'll see you downstairs." Alice flew out the door and back to her own room just as Edward was returning to his and Bella's room.

He peeked in the open doorway, watching as Bella stumbled around the room, opening and closing dresser drawers, mumbling about pushy big sisters and presumably swatting at imaginary vampires. He was about to smile when Bella caught sight of him. One look at her face made him stop cold, figuratively speaking, of course.

"Sorry, love. If I'd known she was going to do that I would have never left the room, but Carlisle wanted to talk to me and she timed it perfectly."

"Edward, she wants to do more shopping…she said it's going to be an F-5 day!" Bella groaned as she pouted her lips and peeked up at Edward through her lashes. She knew he couldn't resist when she did that, and if she had to she would play her ace card: _Please. _Edward could never say no when she said _please_. "_Please _don't let her make me go shopping…_please…_"

"Bella..." Edward knew he couldn't resist when she said "please" and was about to give in when Alice rushed back into the room with a scowl on her face as she pointed her finger in their faces. Bella drew back in surprise while Edward pulled Bella behind him.

"Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, don't you dare! You promised, Edward. Remember???"

"Promised what?" Bella turned to Edward, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Edward sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He pulled Bella to the bed and sat her down while Alice stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"Do you remember when we were at the meadow and I told you about the trip, and how I said that it would give everyone the chance to spend some one-on-one time with you? Earlier in the morning Alice told me the way she bonds with you is through shopping."

Bella looked over at Alice, touched by the revelation.

"It's true, Bella. I don't do it to torture you, you know." Alice said with a smile, showing Bella she'd been forgiven. "You and Edward spend practically all your "awake" time together and then you go to sleep, Edward stays with you all night, and then it happens all over again the next day. I miss you. If I didn't take you shopping with me I would never get to spend any time with you."

Bella got up and walked over to Alice, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Alice. I've been so selfish. _We've_ been selfish," she said looking at Edward who nodded. "You know I love you, don't you? And that you're the best friend I've ever had?" Alice nodded. "And I do love spending time with you. So today, I would very much love to spend time shopping with you. You'll hear no more complaints coming from these lips…cross my heart and hope to become a vampire…"

Alice laughed and hugged Bella. "Thank you, Bella. It really means a lot to me that you would say that."

"What, cross my heart and hope to become a vampire?" Bella turned towards Edward and gave him a little wink.

"No, silly, the other things!"

"I just have one condition, and no peeking ahead to see what that condition is!" Bella said as she stepped back to look at Alice.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Okay, I won't peek. What's the condition?" Edward started laughing as he listened to the thoughts flying through Alice's head about what Bella's conditions might be.

"Cheer up, Alice, it's not that bad." Bella smiled, obviously getting a kick out of Alice's impatience to know what she had to agree to. "If I promise not to complain and willingly try on outfit after outfit today, you have to promise to let me take frequent 'human moment' and Edward-breaks, and I wouldn't say no to a strawberry smoothie to help keep my energy up."

Alice jumped up and down and lightly squeezed Bella's hands. "Deal!" She let go of Bella's hands and started pushing her towards the closet. "Okay, hup-hup, get to it! We're going to be busy today!"

Edward also got up and walked over to Bella, pulling her into his arms and pressing his forehead against hers. "You made her very happy, you know that, don't you?"

"And me, Bella…" Jasper's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Can't you see what you do for this family? Do you see how happy you make me, how happy you make the rest of the family? You are irreplaceable." He felt her forehead move against his as she nodded before brushing her lips against his.

Half an hour later Edward and Bella walked down the stairs to the foyer. Carlisle and Esme had decided to spend a quiet day at home, so it was just the three couples going out today.

Alice slipped her arm through Bella's. "There's been a small change in plans. You, Edward, Jasper and I will be riding together to Bond Street. Emmett and Rosalie are going to meet up with us in a couple of hours, and before you ask I did not look ahead to see what they're up to because I do not want to know."

Bella shook her head. "That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea, Bella," Jasper said as he looked to the left and down the street.

Edward sighed and started pinching the bridge of his nose. "You'll see soon enough, love. It's coming around the corner as we speak."

Bella's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open as she saw what was speeding towards the house. "No way… Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"YEAH BABY YEAH!" Emmett called out as he pulled up to the curb in what appeared to be an exact replica of the "Shaguar" from the Austin Powers movie. He was dressed in a 60's-style dark purple velvet suit, complete with Austin Power eyeglasses.

Rosalie brushed past the others wearing a skin tight mini-dress with thigh-high boots emphasizing her long legs. Emmett jumped out of the car and ran to open the car door for her. "Shall we shag now, or shag later?" Emmett said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, behave!" giggled Rosalie.

Alice was pretending to put her finger down her throat, while Bella struggled not to laugh as they watched Emmett and Rosalie speed away.

"I thought my gag reflex was going to kick in!" Alice screamed as she and Bella burst into laughter.

"Just be glad we're not in the same car as those two," Jasper said as they headed towards the Aston Martin Rapide parked in the driveway. Edward had been one of the very first to purchase the luxury vehicle and was planning to have it shipped to the Cullen's New York state home when they returned to the U.S.

As soon as they came into view of Bond Street Alice started jumping up and down in her seat. Bella had never seen Alice so excited; she kept turning her head left-right, left-right as she took note of the shops until Jasper used his talent to calm her down, reminding her of the humans all around. Alice laughed, "Oops! Thank you, Jazz."

They parked the car and Alice proceeded to march into the first shop she came upon, Louis Vuitton. Alice made a bee-line straight to the purses and accessories. Bella and Edward followed at a slower pace, taking their time as they made their way through the store. "Found it!" they heard Alice say as Jasper stood near his wife, smiling as she marched to the counter to pay for her purchase.

Seven shops and numerous outfits later, Bella was ready for a break so they walked to Postcard Teas, a little teashop about a 2 minute walk from Bond Street, and Bella was able to put her feet up and have a relaxing cup of tea. Emmett and Rosalie joined them, having spotted the two couples walking towards the tea shop. On anyone else the clothes Rosalie and Emmett were wearing would have garnered a lot of snickers and snide remarks, but with their inhuman beauty they were actually very striking in the clothing. There were more than a few males and females making mental notes to find out where they could find the same outfits, causing no small amount of laughter amongst the Cullens.

Coming out of the tea shop they passed by a group of young men who were chatting up two young women twirling and tossing their hair over their shoulders. As they passed the group the young men turned completely away from the two young women and started ogling the Cullen women. Emmett put his arm around Rosalie and flexed his biceps as he looked back at the group of men, while Jasper held Alice's hand and stared them down as he walked past. Edward was growling under his breath as he listened to the thoughts going through the minds of two of the young men as they eyed Bella. He pulled her closer to his chest and let out a very low growl. When they saw Edward's dark eyes their sense of self-preservation kicked in and they scrambled to get away. Bella put her hand on Edward's arm, drawing his attention back to her. "Everything okay?" she gently asked as she raised her hand to caress his cheek. Edward closed his eyes and then drew her into a tight embrace as he leaned down, putting his face in her hair and inhaled deeply several times. After a few seconds he loosened his hold on her, his eyes once again golden. "I'm good now," he whispered as they went to catch up to the others.

Unfortunately, they were now being followed by the two angry young women who had been dropped like hot potatoes by the group of young men. They were intent on exacting some sort of revenge on the Cullen ladies for their perceived humiliation. Edward could hear their thoughts and growled under his breath.

"What?" Bella whispered, knowing that something was disturbing him. She looked around, thinking the group of young men might be following them, looking to cause trouble, but she didn't see a sign of them anywhere on the street.

"It's those girls, the ones the group of men were chatting up," he said. "They're following us and their thoughts are not very charitable towards you, Alice or Rosalie."

"But we didn't do anything!" Bella said as she turned quickly to see the girls following them.

"You didn't have to do anything, love. You're beautiful and desirable and they're not, and they can't stand it." Edward said with a smug smile on his face. Bella blushed as they caught up to the others.

"Uh-oh, I sense trouble," said Jasper, nodding towards the two young women who were still following at a distance. "Wow, the amount of jealousy and envy coming off those two…"

Alice turned to see who Jasper was talking about. "Good God, it's the UK version of Lauren and Jessica," said Alice as the two empty-headed twits sauntered past the Cullen group, looking down their noses at the Cullen ladies while winking at the Cullen men, causing Rosalie and Alice to laugh out loud. Surprisingly, it was Alice that seemed to draw their most resentful thoughts. Edward was still listening to their thoughts and he started chuckling.

"Care to share something with us, my brother?" Emmett asked as he waited for Edward to stop chuckling.

"What are the odds we would find Lauren and Jessica's twins while on vacation in another country. Even their names are similar. UK Lauren's name is Lorrain and UK Jessica is Jeska. How weird is that? This is what they're thinking: _We're ever so much more beautiful than they; I can't believe the tramps, trying to steal our blokes; Those big muscled men always go for the empty-headed blondes; I could steal him away from her with a snap of my fingers; I don't like the one with the short black spiky hair. Who does she think she is? I'm skinnier and more delicate than she, and more stylish! Those shoes couldn't possibly be real Christian Louboutin's! _And some comments about me which I won't repeat."

"Who are they calling an empty-headed blonde?" Rosalie growled.

"Ooh, Alice, you'd better watch your back!" Emmett teased as she smiled smugly.

"Hah! I've had their kind for lunch, figuratively speaking of course." Alice laughed, not at all worried about the two fashionista wannabes. Suddenly she let out a very Alice-like squeal. "There it is! Christian Louboutin! Come on!" she said as pointed towards the shop.

"Bella, we're going to check out that shop across the street while you girls look at shoes. We'll meet you back here in about half an hour, okay love?" Edward said, not wanting to go into the busy shop filled with women, a decision that Jasper and Emmett agreed with wholeheartedly. Bella nodded and reached up to kiss him before Alice pulled her away.

"Alright, break it up you two! You'll see each other again in half an hour!" Alice said as pulled Bella towards the shop while Bella turned and blew a kiss towards Edward which he playfully caught and returned with his own. Rosalie followed after her own little goodbye kiss with Emmett.

The shop was extremely busy as shoppers scooped up the latest shoes by the great designer. Alice flitted from one display to the next, studying each shoe that caught her interest. Then she saw it.

"OH. MY. GOD!" squealed Alice, pointing to a shoe that was on a special platform out of the reach of the shoppers. A spotlight was shining down on the shoes and they looked very expensive. "There it is! The multi-colored Greissimo Pump I've been looking for! I have to have that shoe!" A saleslady saw Alice looking at the shoe and came over to offer her assistance.

While Alice was busy looking at the shoes, Rosalie had noticed Lorrain and Jeska walk into the store. They looked around the shop and pointed towards Alice. Tossing their hair over their shoulders again they rudely pushed their way through the crowd as they shadowed Alice as she moved from one display to the next.

Alice called out to Bella, "Bella, look at those heels, to your left! You need to try them on!" Bella turned to see what shoes Alice was referring to and came face to face with a 4 inch heel on the display. "Absolutely not! Are you trying to kill me, Alice? I'm already an accident-magnet and you want me to put those shoes on? Why not just snap my neck right now and be done with it?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Bella. Geez, you really have been spending too much time with Edward!"

"Look, Alice." Bella said as she pointed towards the displays with less intimidating sandals. "I don't mind sandals. I'll try those on all day long if you want, but I am not going to try on those death-traps. Compromise?" she smiled at Alice. Alice nodded happily. "Okay, compromise."

Just as Bella was going to ask a saleslady for assistance she felt Rosalie tap her on the shoulder. "Come on Bella, trouble just walked in and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and do nothing!" She pointed in the direction of Lorrain and Jeska. Bella's eyes narrowed and in sisterly solidarity she nodded, ready to follow Rosalie over to where Alice was waiting for the saleslady to return.

"Excuse me," said Lorrain in a loud, nasally voice as she and Jeska walked around the display table to stand almost face to face with Alice. "I'll have you know that those shoes you were looking at, they're going to be mine, not yours. What I want I _always _get."

All conversation stopped as the other shoppers watched the scene playing out.

Alice's eyes narrowed as she looked her opponent up and down dismissively. "Is that so? I hate to disappoint you, but you're wrong on two counts."

"Oh, really?" Lorrain replied as she rolled her eyes. "And that would be?"

Alice laughed her tinkling laugh, genuinely amused by the audacity of this delusional twit. "It should be perfectly clear, even for someone as clueless as you. The two things you don't have? Impeccable taste and style…" Rosalie and Bella gave each other hi-fives while the other shoppers snickered. "And you won't have these shoes either."

Lorrain turned red. "And what would _you _know about taste and style?"

"Well, I know that you're wearing last year's skinny jeans and they aren't even designer! Tsk, tsk, tsk. Knock-offs? How sad for you." Alice shook her head in mock-sadness.

Lorrain turned red as she listened to the tittering laughter scattered amongst the crowd. She glanced at Jeska who nodded and took up a position to the right of Alice. Rosalie and Bella moved to stand opposite Jeska, Rosalie's eyes smoldering and Bella's face grim as they silently dared her to make a move. Jeska swallowed nervously, but stood her ground.

Just then the saleslady returned with the Greissimo Pump in hand. "Ma'am, this is the last shoe in your size…" Her voice trailed away as she noticed how quiet the shop had become. She looked at Alice who was staring at Lorrain and sensed what was about to happen. It was a common occurrence in their shop. Christian Louboutin shoes tended to bring out some very animalistic qualities in the women who shopped in their store. Very slowly she set the shoes down on the display table and stepped back.

Lorrain's eyes locked on the shoes before darting back to Alice. Alice recognized the look in her eyes. She'd seen it many times in the past from fashionistas who'd thought they could get the upper hand on her. _Bring it on, _Alice thought. She was going to have to be careful and not move too quickly in front of the humans in the shop, but there was no way she was going to allow this _thing _to steal her shoes!

The other shoppers pressed back against the display cases near the walls, giving the two combatants room to move. Alice and Lorrain started to slowly circle around the Greissimo pumps on the display table, each flexing their fingers as they waited for their opponent to make the first move. Suddenly Lorrain made a grab for the shoes, but was quickly stopped by Alice who grabbed her by the wrist and "pretended" to struggle to keep her away from the shoes.

"Bella!" Alice cried. "Grab the shoes and stand in that corner!" She was concerned Bella might get hurt and was determined to not let that happen. Bella nodded and made to move towards the table when she felt someone grab a handful of her hair and yanked hard.

"Ow!" screamed Bella as she started to fall. Jeska had sprung into action when she heard Alice cry out instructions to Bella and the first thing she did was pull Bella down by her hair.

Rosalie saw what was happening and growled, "Oh, hell no you don't!" She grabbed Jeska's hand and made her release her grip on Bella's hair. Bella turned towards Jeska, her face red and eyes angry. "Bella, don't even think about it. Do as Alice said. Shoes! Corner! Now!"

Bella reached for the shoes, but before she could grab them Jeska chucked a 6 inch pump at Bella's head. Fortunately Bella saw the shoe flying towards her and in an uncharacteristic display of quick reflexes ducked and watched the shoe fly past her head. Unfortunately, her usual clumsiness kicked in and she tripped over her own legs, hitting her head on the display table and knocking herself out cold. Before she hit the floor she also took out another display table, causing shoes to fly all over the place.

Lorrain let out a scream and reached out to grab Alice's hair, pulling as hard as she could.

Rosalie stared in horror as she watched her human sister lying on the floor, unconscious, while her vampire sister, Alice, was getting her hair pulled by Lorrain. Even though a human didn't have the strength to pull out a vampire's hair, it still hurt.

"Let go of my hair, you little witch!" yelled Alice as she twisted her head to the side. Lorrain lost her grip on Alice's hair, but then latched on to her leg, refusing to let go.

"No! You can't have them. They're MY shoes!" screamed Lorrain.

"You'll never have them, you delusional twit!" Alice yelled back, trying to loosen Lorrain's grip on her legs without breaking the stupid girl's arms.

The crowd was enjoying every minute of the fight, while the store manager was yelling into the phone, asking someone to send a policeman over to restore order in her shop.

Rosalie quickly ran over to Bella who was just starting to regain consciousness. She helped Bella sit up and looked over at Alice who had been knocked to the ground when Lorrain unexpectedly twisted her legs with Alice's legs. Before Rosalie could react, Bella was off like a rocket, having caught sight of Jeska reaching out to grab Alice's Christian Louboutin's. Bella tackled Jeska by the knees and brought her down where they started rolling around on the floor, only this time Bella was the first to grab a handful of hair and was pulling Jeska's hard as hard as she could.

Rosalie didn't know whether to laugh or put a stop to it. She knew she was going to tease Bella later about her now broken promise to never be caught dead fighting over a piece of clothing or shoes. Rosalie smiled proudly as she saw Bella was more than holding her own against Jeska. She knew she had to secure the purchase of Alice's shoes and walked over to where the pumps were lying on the floor, picking them and checking them for damage. Satisfied they were still in perfect condition she looked up at the saleslady who had been assisting Alice and handed her a black American Express card. "Please ring these up as fast as you can," she smiled to the saleslady who smiled back at her. "Yes, ma'am. I'll have your bag and receipt for you in one minute," the corners of her mouth twitching upwards as she watched Alice and Bella continuing to fight with Lorrain and Jessica.

Meanwhile, Edward, Jasper and Emmett were on their way back to meet up with the girls when Edward went completely still. Jasper looked at him. "What is it, Edward? Is Bella in danger?" Both Jasper and Emmett tensed as they prepared to come to the rescue of their human sister.

Edward groaned. "No, Jasper, it's _your_ woman this time!"

Jasper shouted, "WHAT?"

"There's a battle going on in that shop and _your_ woman is at the center of it. Let's go!" Edward started running towards the shop, Jasper and Emmett close on his heels. Edward was bombarded by the thoughts of at least 50 women, catching snippets of their thoughts here and there. _Their thoughts are like spaghetti, all over the place, _he thought to himself. Jasper, however, was being hit with what could only be described as the human equivalent of bloodlust. The women in the crowd were watching a battle take place and his Alice was in the thick of it. He very quickly sent out a burst of calm to bring down wild emotions coming from the women watching the catfight, but in his hurry to get to Alice he misjudged the strength of the "dose" he sent out and the women shoppers began to pass out. Emmett started laughing as he watched women dropping like flies, falling down all over the shop.

With the crowds now out of the way, including the store employees who had also succumbed to Jasper's gift, Edward, Jasper and Emmett quickly moved to the front of the store where they stopped short at a sight they never thought they'd see.

Bella and Alice were engaged in separate battles with Jeska and Lorrain, while Rosalie was calmly signing the receipt for the shoes, the saleslady now laying unconscious by the cash register. Rosalie made sure she gave the saleslady a big tip as 'thanks' for her help.

Edward watched as Bella struggled with Jeska on the floor. Jeska was kicking at Bella's legs while Bella was pulling with all her might on the two fistfuls of Jeska's hair she had managed to grab. Jeska's foot finally connected with Bella's leg and she hissed as she felt the blow on her shin. Bella's face was as red as Edward had ever seen it and she was so angry that tears were ready to fall from the corners of her eyes.

Edward's protective instincts kicked in as he hissed angrily and with one hand easily stopped Jeska's legs from kicking out at Bella. Jeska froze as she saw the look in Edward's eyes, not daring to move another inch. Edward gently opened Bella's hands to make her release Jeska's hair and carried her towards the door, but not before letting fly another low hiss in Jeska's direction.

Jasper's protective instincts also kicked in as he quickly pulled Lorrain off of Alice's legs, his eyes turning black and a low growl sounding in his chest as he stared at the person who had attacked his mate. Lorrain froze, too scared to move, which was a mistake as it was tempting Jasper to strike. Alice saw what was happening and quickly stood in front of Jasper, forcing him to look at her. "Jasper, it's okay. Let it go." His eyes focused back on Alice's face and his eyes softened. He put his arm around Alice and led her out of the shop, not daring to look back at Lorrain.

Rosalie and Emmett followed the other two couples out the door as they all quickly walked away from the shop, eager to put some distance between themselves and the shop before everyone started to wake up from the Jasper-induced sleep.

Emmett leaned against the wall of one of the shops, not even trying to hold back the laughter that had him holding his stomach. He pointed at Alice. "Hey Alice, I bet you didn't _**see **_that one coming, did you?"

Alice glared at him. "NO Emmett! _I_ _didn't see that one coming_!" He laughed even harder.

"Oh come on Alice, even you have to admit it was funny," said Rosalie as she laughed along with Emmett. "Watching Lorrain as she pulled your hair; it looked painful, let me tell you. And then you pretending to struggle with Lorrain until she actually did trip you up! And our little Bella upending the tables and tripping over her own legs, knocking herself out, regaining consciousness only to tackle Jeska to the ground! Didn't you once swear, Bella, to never be caught dead fighting over clothes or shoes? I think were the words you used."

Emmett started laughing again. "I never thought I'd see the day when Bella Swan resorted to hair pulling in the name of fashion!"

Edward growled at Emmett. "Are you okay, love?" he asked as he set her down on a bench and examined the leg that Jeska had kicked. Bella winced as he ran his hand gently over the pale skin which was now turning purple. A part of him wanted to go back to the store and eliminate the insignificant human who had hurt his Bella, but Bella quickly placed both hands on his face, pulling him closer so she could look him in the eye. "She's not worth it, sweetheart. Let it go." He closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"Besides, I think I gave as good as I got!" she said, hoping to make him smile, which he did.

Alice skipped over to Bella and gave her a huge hug. "Oh, Bella. I am so proud of you!"

"Me? You wanted me to stay out of trouble and I _couldn't_. You told me to get the shoes and I _didn't_. You told me to stay in the corner and I _didn't_ do that either. Why should you be proud of me?" Bella looked genuinely confused.

Surprisingly, it was Rosalie who answered first. "Bella, Alice is proud because you showed your Cullen loyalty in that shop today. Your first instinct was to defend and protect our family. You showed sisterly solidarity by not hesitating to back me up when we went to join Alice." She gave Bella a look of approval. "How can you doubt your place in our family? Today you proved, once again, that you belong to us just as we belong to you."

Bella looked at the faces of each of the Cullens. She saw pride, approval, acceptance, gratitude and love clearly written on their faces. The last of her doubts slipped way like dandelions on a windy day.

"Is it sinking in yet?" Edward asked. He knew Bella understood the question. She buried her face in his chest, squeezing her eyes shut tight to keep the tears from flowing.

The other Cullens surrounded Edward and Bella in a big group hug. "A Cullen, Bella, that's what you are. For eternity."

* * *

A/N: The "Fujita Scale" I mentioned at the beginning of the story is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based on the damage tornadoes cause to building structures and vegetation (trees, etc.). Alice is like her own little tornado, a whirlwind of sorts, always in motion. I thought it would be funny for Bella to compare shopping to a tornado, based on Alice's shopping mood for the day.


	11. Stregoni Benefici

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

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**Chapter Eleven: Stregoni Benefici**

It was another gray morning in London and there was a light drizzle as Bella sat in the kitchen eating her breakfast and talking with Esme. Edward hadn't gone hunting since the Cullens had left Forks. His eyes were starting to turn dark and the purple shadows under his eyes were even more prominent. Bella asked him to go hunting and let her spend the day with Carlisle and Esme instead. After much persuasion on Bella's part he agreed, telling her he would be back in a couple of hours. Alice, Jasper and Emmett went with him, eager to take advantage of the opportunity to hunt.

Carlisle walked into the kitchen as Bella was finishing the last of her breakfast and talking with Esme. "So, Bella, are you ready to explore some of my old haunts?"

"I can't wait, Carlisle. Edward's told me so much of your history and I would love the opportunity to get to see in person where you lived."

"Well, I'm glad to have this opportunity to show you, Bella." He turned towards Esme. "Are you ready, my dear?"

They took a cab to an older part of London, the part of London where Carlisle was born and raised. It was still lightly drizzling as they walked the old cobblestone streets protected by their umbrellas. Bella listed as Carlisle talked about the parts of his past that he could remember, memories of his childhood that he could still recall as well as some of the places and events from that time in history. He pointed out landmarks which had remained the same since his boyhood and those which had changed greatly.

"As you know my father was an Anglican preacher and his church used to be in this square. Unfortunately, all of the actual structures from my time, including the church, were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. I had already left the city when this happened, trying to come to terms with what I had become. At the time of the fire I had been hiding in a cave in the forest, weak from abstaining from blood. It was during this time I fed for the first time from a herd of passing deer and realized that I could live with what I had become if I could sustain my life by drinking from animals alone."

Bella was listening intently to Carlisle's recitation of his early years as a vampire. "Carlisle, how difficult was it for you when you realized you were a vampire?"

They had stopped on a small deserted street. Carlisle turned to look at Bella, considering her question. "I was repelled and horrified at what I had become, albeit unwillingly. I tried to kill myself in any way I could think of: starvation, drowning, jumping off cliffs. Anything that would have killed a human I tried before realizing my immortality made those ways impossible."

He looked off into the distance as he remembered those early years. "Then I found I could sustain myself on animal blood. As a human I was always felt compassion towards my fellow man and even though I no longer had a beating heart I still felt the same compassion, the same depth of feeling I had always felt to humans. I knew I would dedicate the rest of my existence towards helping save human life, not take it. I knew the rewards from living this way would be great and it was a choice that I've never regretted. It truly was a choice of the heart. It brought me my family and it was a choice that brought you to us as well."

Suddenly Carlisle tensed, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. "Bella, stand behind Esme and whatever happens do not leave her side." Carlisle turned towards a dark alley less than 20 feet away from where they were standing. Bella listened in surprise as Carlisle let out a low growl and hissed in the direction of the alley.

Esme had assumed a protective crouch in front of Bella, keeping her behind her back as she also let out a low growl.

"Esme," Bella whispered, nervous at what she couldn't see. "What is it?"

Esme pulled Bella behind her and stood in a protective crouch. "It's another vampire, standing in the shadows of that alley." Esme nodded in the direction of the alley.

*********

Edward, Alice, Jasper and Emmett were just returning to the city limits from their hunt when suddenly Alice went still. Her eyes were unfocused as the vision played out in her mind. Jasper darted to her side and asked Edward, "What is she seeing?"

Edward briefly closed his eyes before snapping them open. "Dammit!" he cried. Alice came out of the vision, her eyes terrified.

"Oh no!" Alice cried. "Edward, I didn't see it!" She turned towards Jasper and Emmett. "Carlisle and Esme are going to need us. There's another vampire who's trying to get to Bella. We need to hurry!"

Emmett growled angrily at the thought of another vampire trying to harm his family. The group quickly sped off towards the alley where Alice had seen Bella, Carlisle and Esme with the unknown vampire.

**********

Esme remained in a protective crouch, blocking Bella from view as Carlisle faced the dark alley. An evil cackle came from the dark shadows and a voice hissed, "Well, well, well. I had always wondered what had become of you. Come to visit your creator? I came back for you, you know, after I escaped that mob and finished off the other. I was deeply disappointed to not have the chance to finish you off as well."

"I had no intention of staying in the area." Carlisle said calmly as he continued to stare into the shadows. Bella saw movement in the alley and an older man came out of the shadows, eyes redder than blood, a cloak around his shoulders. Bella's eyes widened as she realized she was looking at the vampire who had changed Carlisle over 300 years ago, a creature of pure evil.

"Ha! You were right not to stay! You would have been chased and hunted down, just like the rest of us! What happened? Did you run away knowing that preacher father of yours would hunt _you _down when he discovered what you'd become?" the old vampire sneered.

"I loved my father, but I knew him well and he would have done the same to me as he tried to do to our kind. I could not allow myself to live the way most of our kind lives and made the choice to leave and never return."

The old vampire laughed a sinister laugh. "You fool! You can't change what you are! This is what we're meant to be." A small gust of wind blew through the small street, carrying Bella's mouthwatering scent in the direction of the old vampire. He breathed deeply, eyes closed and when he reopened them Bella could see his eyes had turned black and were now locked onto her person. "And _that_," he rasped as he started moving towards Bella. "That is what we're meant to feed on!"

Esme pulled Bella further behind her as Carlisle moved to block the old vampire's view of Bella. The old vampire again let out a sinister laugh as he mocked Carlisle to his face. "Do you think you can stop me? I know who you are! Imagine my surprise when I heard tales of _Stregoni Benefici_ and realized it was the young man I had created those many years ago. Oh yes, I knew it was you. Even amongst our kind here, there were tales of the vampire who was compassionate, who did not live off human blood but instead drank from animals. I knew it had to be you." He sneered as he feinted to the left, but Carlisle matched his move, not allowing him to take any further steps towards Bella.

Carlisle's voice was hard as he continued to match the old vampire's moves. "Then you should know that I value human life. I work to save human lives and I will defend human lives against our kind, in particular the life of this member of my family."

"A member of your family? You have a human as a member of your coven?" the old vampire laughed at Carlisle's words. "And what is it that makes this one so special, other than her tantalizing blood? Is she your pet?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Carlisle replied. "This young woman is special to myself and to my wife and children. She is the mate of my eldest son and we will defend her against any threat, so be warned. I do not want to destroy you, but if you try to harm my daughter I will not hesitate."

"Then I guess you'll have to try, won't you?" the old vampire sneered as he and Carlisle started to move from side to side as the old vampire tried to find a way around Carlisle. Suddenly the old vampire lunged to the left and Carlisle lunged after him.

A tremendous growl came from Carlisle as he fought with the vampire. Bella couldn't see through the blurred movements. She could hear the loud snapping of teeth as well as the gasps of surprise and shocked hissings, but she couldn't tell who was making them. Esme continued to stand in front of Bella in a protective crouch as she watched the battle between her husband and his creator.

Suddenly there was a roar and growl as Bella again heard the familiar sharp metallic snap, snaring in horror as a head rolled in the direction of the alley. But whose head was it?

At that moment Alice and Edward came running onto the street. Edward's expression was wild and frantic as his eyes searched for Bella. He saw Esme straighten from her protective crouch in front of Bella and darted to Bella's side, pulling her close and hugging her tightly, while quietly thanking Esme for protecting Bella. Esme caressed his cheek with her right hand as she nodded and then went to stand with Carlisle who was staring down at what was left of the old vampire.

Jasper and Emmett had rushed onto the street and after taking in the scene they shred what was left of the old vampire and burned his remains. The Cullens quickly left the street, hailing taxi cabs for the ride back to the house.

*********

Edward carried Bella into the house and into the sitting room, placing her on the couch while he quickly started a fire and went to sit next to her, wrapping her in the thick blanket that Alice had thoughtfully grabbed from the closet.

"Are you okay, love?" Edward asked as he held her tightly. "Alice didn't see until we were already on our way back. We got there as quickly as we could."

"I'm fine, Edward," Bella replied before noticing Edward's skeptical expression. "Really, I mean it, I am fine. Carlisle had the situation under control and Esme was with me the entire time. I felt perfectly safe."

"What am I going to do with you?" Edward whispered into her ear as he continued to hold her close. "My little danger-magnet…" he teased half-heartedly, but it brought the desired smile to Bella's face.

"Well, we both know the answer to that, don't we?" Bella replied, referring to her transformation which would be taking place after the wedding.

For once Edward didn't argue or cringe at the mention of Bella's change. He sighed as he said to her, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish that day were here already. Then I would know you were safe from harm." He joked half-heartedly, "It's said to be impossible for vampires, but you just might turn my hair gray if you keep this up…"

She sensed his need for comfort and brushed the hair from his forehead, softly kissing his brows and nose before pressing her lips to his. "Well, I don't know about that. I happen to like your hair the color it is now," she teased. "In the meantime, you and the rest of the family are keeping me safe and for now that's enough for me."

Carlisle and Esme stepped into the room. Esme handed Bella a cup of hot tea which Bella accepted gratefully, sipping carefully at the sweet brew.

"Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle asked as he kneeled in front of her, the concern clearly showing on his face. "You look a little flushed and your temperature is a bit elevated, no doubt from the scare…"

"No, Carlisle, not from the scare, just from the rain. I never, not for one moment, felt scared for my life because I knew you and Esme would never let anything happen to me. Thank you Carlisle, for defending me as you did. I know how you feel about these types of confrontations and I'm sorry you were put into that position…"

Carlisle stood up and sat on the couch next to Bella and Edward. He looked at Edward who released his hold on Bella as Carlisle took Bella's hand in his. "Don't ever apologize for what you perceive as me being forced to make a choice. If I had to do it again, I would without hesitation. You are my daughter, Bella, and I would give my life if it were to save yours, just as I would for my other sons and daughters. I made a choice of the heart…my choice was to protect and defend my daughter. It's a decision I will never regret. You are a Cullen, now and forever. We protect our own."

Bella's eyes started tearing as she hugged Carlisle tightly and whispered, "Thank you…Dad."

Carlisle closed his eyes and tightened his hold on his youngest daughter. When he opened his eyes he saw the rest of the family had gathered around them, smiling as they watched the touching tableau in front of the fire. This is what Carlisle had dreamed of for so long. All those years of loneliness before he had changed Edward and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett, and before Jasper and Alice joined the family, they had been worth it because now he had the only thing he had ever wanted in his whole life, a family that loved each other and watched out for each other.

* * *

A/N: What did you think? I've been trying to keep the chapters lighthearted and funny but with the Carlisle/Bella chapter I wanted to show how Carlisle is fiercely protective of his family, especially his youngest, Bella. Please review…I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!


	12. Mothers and Daughters

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Mothers and Daughters**

Edward decided that it was time for him and Bella to spend a day alone together, just the two of them, so while the other Cullen couples made plans to occupy themselves for the day, Edward had plans to surprise Bella with a boat trip down the Thames River. It had been a perfect day as they traveled up and down the Thames, Bella standing against the rail as Edward's wound his arms securely around her. They shared sweet kisses as they passed under the city's historic bridges. Edward laughed as Bella became excited when they went past landmarks including the Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe Theater (where Edward had promised to take her later that week), and St. Paul's Cathedral. She saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, all the famous landmarks that she'd only seen on television or read about in books.

After stopping to get Bella something to eat, Bella and Edward made their way back home, but not before getting caught in one of London's famous downpours. They laughed as they held hands and ran into the house, shaking the water off of their bodies as Edward told Bella to wait for him in the sitting room while he went to get some towels for them to dry off.

Shivering from the rain, Bella took care not to slip on the floor as she made her way into the sitting room where there was a wonderfully warm fire blazing in the fireplace. Bella moved quickly to stand in front of the fire, holding her hands out towards the flames.

A voice came from the couch facing the fireplace. "Hello, Bella."

Startled, Bella spun around and faced the voice. "I'm sorry, Esme, I didn't realize you were in the room," said Bella, her teeth chattering as she shivered in front of the fire.

Esme smiled warmly at Bella. "I'm sorry for startling you, dear. I'm waiting for Carlisle to return from his appointment and when I saw the fire going; well, the room looked so cozy, so warm and inviting, I couldn't resist!" Esme took in Bella's slightly damp hair and clothing. "I see you and Edward got caught in a bit of authentic English soft weather!" she teased.

Bella laughed. "Yes we did. Of course, a little bit of rain, or even a lot, wouldn't faze two kids from Forks, WA, would it?"

"Well, I imagine you're right about that," Esme laughed in agreement. "Why don't you come over here and sit with me on the sofa? I brought some warm blankets just in case, and I believe there is one with your name on it..."

Bella grinned and made her way to the couch, sitting next to Esme and pulling her feet up under her legs. Esme spread out two blankets, one to protect Bella from the chill of Esme's body and the other for Bella to wrap around herself. Bella sighed softly as Esme told her to stretch out on the couch and lay her head in Esme's lap.

"Thank you Esme," said Bella.

Esme started to run her fingers gently through Bella's hair, as always amazed at Bella's warmth and the softness of her skin and hair. It made Esme so happy to see the ease with which Bella relaxed against her.

"That feels wonderful, Esme. Thank you." Bella sighed again as she pulled the blanket tighter across her shoulders.

"Well, are you going to tell me about your day with Edward?" Esme asked with a smile, eager to know if Bella had enjoyed their day alone together.

"Oh Esme, it was fantastic!" said Bella, her eyes closed as she relived the day in her mind. "Edward took me on a river cruise up and down the Thames!" Bella paused and then opened her eyes to look at Esme. "Esme, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course, dear, you can tell me anything," Esme replied as she continued to run her fingers through Bella's hair.

"When I was a little girl, my favorite movie was "Mary Poppins". I used to love that movie so much; I would always ask Renee to play it for me, over and over again." Esme smiled as she imagined a small Bella asking her mother to "Play it again, mommy, play it again!"

Bella continued, her eyes watching the fire as she reminisced about her favorite movie as a child. "My favorite scene in the movie was when Bert pretended to be "punting on the Thames." Ever since then I've always dreamed of one day getting to see and be on the Thames River! Little did I know Edward would be the one to make that dream come true..." she smiled dreamily.

Esme laughed. "Well, then I'm happy Edward was able to make that dream come true for you. He told me about the surprise trip and I knew you would love it. You know, Carlisle took me on a similar cruise when we visited London in the 60's."

"You were here in the 60's? Wow, it must have been amazing!"

"Yes it was, and very interesting too. Carlisle wanted to show me where he came from. It was just me, Carlisle and Edward. The others stayed in the States. I don't think I have to tell you how much Edward hated the 60's, and to be in London in the 60's, I think it was his worst nightmare ever!" laughed Esme. "It wasn't that he didn't like England or the people, it was just that Alice was always trying to get him to dress in the 60's styles and when she found out we were going to be visiting for a while, she became very excited about…well, let's just say she thought she could convince Edward to wear clothing similar to Emmett's "Austin Powers' suit that you saw a few days ago."

Bella cringed as Esme laughed.

"You know how old fashioned Edward is and he would never stand for it. So she gave him a choice: either he wore the mod-60's style clothing that was the rage at the time, or he was going to dress as the perfect English gentleman. Given the choices, Edward let Alice select the clothing that would make him look the part of an English gentleman. Emmett and Jasper teased him mercilessly, but Edward knows what he likes and what he doesn't, and that was that." laughed Esme.

Bella laughed as well. "Yes, I imagine my Edward was the most gentlemanly of gentlemen. He must have cut a very striking figure!"

"Oh yes, but then Edward always stands out in any crowd," agreed Esme, pride in her voice for her son.

Esme hesitated and then continued. "Our visit was also memorable for another reason. Did Edward ever tell you about my near slip-up?"

Bella lifted her head in surprise and then shifted her position so she was now facing Esme. "Your near slip-up?"

"Oh yes. One night Carlisle, Edward and I had just come back from the theatre. Carlisle and Edward went to the front desk to check for messages and I told them I would meet them back at the suite. I had almost made it to our suite when the elevator doors opened and the most tempting scent I had smelled in decades came wafting out. It was a young man not much older than Edward. I had no warning, no time to hold my breath and get out of there as quickly as I could." said Esme.

"Oh no! You attacked him?"

"I attacked."

Bella looked at Esme with sympathy in her eyes. "Oh no. And after all those years of not giving in to your bloodlust. So you…drank from him?"

"Not quite. I lured him to a dark corner and just as I was about to bite him, strong arms pulled me away. Fortunately Edward and Carlisle were already on their way up and Edward had heard my thoughts before I attacked. They sprinted up the stairs the rest of the way, not caring if they were seen. Carlisle pulled me away just in time, but then the young man started yelling and raised the alarm. He had seen me and knew who my companions were. Very quickly the hotel was on alert, looking for Edward, Carlisle and myself. In the chaos we didn't see which way Edward had gone. All we knew was we had to get out of there quickly. So Carlisle had to make a choice: get me out of there, far away and as fast as possible, but without Edward; or he could risk us all and pray that Edward would appear any minute and we could leave together."

"And what choice did Carlisle make?" asked Bella anxiously. Esme knew why she was feeling this way.

"Carlisle chose me. He made me his priority and chose to get me to safety." Esme replied.

"So, Carlisle chose you first, even if it meant that Edward might be in danger?" asked Bella, staring closely at Esme's face as she waited for her answer.

"Yes, Bella. You will do anything to keep your mate safe, and he chose me first. Afterwards I felt incredibly guilty that my actions had forced Carlisle to make a choice that I felt may have been selfish. I mean, there really was nothing to worry about with Edward. He had made it out of the hotel quickly, with our belongings I might add! He caught our scents and we left the area together, but I was so afraid Edward might blame me or worse, leave because of my actions and I didn't want him to leave. When Edward realized how guilty I felt he talked to me and made sure that I understood he felt there was nothing to forgive. There was no betrayal of family bonds, no one was going anywhere. And I've learned over the years that no matter what choice your heart makes, it's always the right one." Esme said quietly. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Bella?"

"Yes, I do," whispered Bella. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Esme. I know that all of you know it's something I had been struggling with, but I think the message has finally begun to sink into this thick skull of mine!"

"Good!" laughed Esme. "Eternity is a long time to go around feeling guilty, my dear."

Bella laughed softly, and snuggled in closer to Esme as Esme continued to softly stroke Bella's hair and forehead.

Esme smiled lovingly as she watched Bella's breathing become deeper and she fell asleep. Her expression was tender as she looked at this young girl who had become the center of the Cullen family. She loved this girl so much.

Esme looked up and saw Edward standing quietly in the doorway. He had been standing there for quite a while and had heard all of their conversation. There was a tender expression on his face, his golden eyes glowing as he took in the beauty of the scene in front of the fireplace, a mother and daughter quietly spending an evening together sharing confidences and stories. It gratified him to see this bond between two women he loved. And Esme was able to give Bella the one thing that Renee never could: an unselfish, nurturing and protective love. Edward had never seen a more beautiful picture than the one before him. Carlisle quietly came up from behind Edward to take in the touching tableau. The two men smiled at each other, both content to see this little bit of heaven on earth.

* * *

A/N: In this chapter I wanted to show how much Bella views Esme as her "mother"...they've become very close, as mothers and daughters should be. Please review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks :D


	13. The Happiest Place on Earth, Oui, Oui!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. My brother is critically ill right now and it's been very hard to think about writing. But, as usual, I find that writing makes me feel a bit better. I decided I needed something funny to make me laugh and Emmett is always good for that! Hope it makes you laugh too!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Happiest Place on Earth, Oui, Oui!**

Emmett was having a hard time keeping still. Today was the day he got to spend one-on-one time Bella. He'd never had a day where he could just hang out with his little sister and he was excited to finally be getting the chance to do so. He had so many ideas of funs things to see and do and was eager to show his little sister how much fun it was to have a big brother.

While Bella was sleeping in hers and Edward's room, Emmett had been trying to come up with ideas of fun things to do. The one that stuck out most in his mind was taking Bella to an amusement park where they could go on rides all day long and Bella could eat all the junk food she wanted while Emmett pretended to be disgusted. Yeah, an amusement park would be the perfect way for them to spend the day together.

Emmett bounded down the stairs and through the hallway towards the kitchen where Bella was already sitting down eating her breakfast, Edward sitting beside her as he watched her eat. Alice was sitting on the kitchen island as she chatted with Edward and Bella about the day.

Emmett sat in his usual chair directly across from Bella. "So, little sis, are you ready to spend the day with your big brother?"

"Help me…" Bella mumbled under her breath to Edward.

"Aw, come on Bella, a little trust here. What do you think I'm going to do, run you through an obstacle course, let you fall down, prank you with whipped cream or hit you with water balloons?" Emmett asked with an innocent expression on his face.

Alice interrupted. "You won't if you know what's good for you! You do any of that and I swear I will find a forest somewhere around this city where you and I will have a come-to-Jesus meeting, if you get my meaning, Emmett!"

Emmett gulped, knowing exactly what his sister meant and he knew she'd do it. He'd learned over the years that one should never, ever underestimate a Cullen woman.

Bella laughed. "It's okay, Alice. I think I can handle Emmett for a day, but you remember this, Emmett," Bella said, wagging her finger in his direction. "If anything bad happens to me I will so make you pay for it when I'm changed!"

"YES!!!" Emmett yelled as he pumped his fist in the air. "Amusement park, here we come! A whole day with my favorite human and little sister!"

Bella shook her head and giggled to herself before finishing her breakfast. Emmett was more excited than she'd ever seen him and truth be told she was actually looking forward to hanging out with Emmett because she knew he would be lots of fun and they would laugh the day away.

Edward shook his head and turned to Bella. "It'll be fine. He knows what he can and CAN'T do, don't you Emmett?" He turned to Emmett with a stern expression on his face which Emmett immediately knew meant Edward was deadly serious.

"Edward, I promise you, I will keep her safe, not a scratch on her head. We're gonna have a great time!" Emmett said as he pounded his fists lightly on the table.

"Regardless, we're going to go over the 'rules''," Edward said as he leaned back in his chair to face Emmett.

Emmett smacked his hand against his forehead and leaned back in his own chair. "Aw, come on Edward, you're going to take the fun out of our day with all of your, quote/unquote, '_rules'_."

"The rules," Edward continued as if he hadn't heard Emmett's comment, "the rules are you are not to take Bella on rides that would be considered dangerous. No doing anything that would be considered breaking the law in this country. No bungee-jumping, no skydiving from airplanes or any other gravity-defying piece of machinery or equipment. No diving, whether it be scuba diving or from rocks or cliffs. No climbing or scaling mountains, or jumping across large or small bodies of water. You are not to let Bella out of your sight, except for her 'human moments'. You are to make sure she has something to eat and drink every couple of hours. You will make sure she's strapped in securely on any park ride, and when she says '_stop'_ or '_I don't want to go on that one' _you are to obey without question. You are not going to scare or freak her out in any way, shape or form, nor will you do anything that will embarrass her or make her the center of attention. Got it?"

Bella had a scowl on her face as she listened to Edward going over the 'rules'. "Edward, I'm not a child you know. You're treating me like a little kid and I don't appreciate it."

Edward turned to Bella. "Bella, I definitely don't think of you as a child, but I do worry about your safety. I'm only doing this to give Emmett clear boundaries and guidelines to follow. I want you to enjoy yourself, but I also want him to take the proper precautions." Bella let out a frustrated "Humph!" and sat back in her chair, ducking her head and looking towards the floor. Edward shook his head affectionately and gently pulled her face back up. Bella rolled her eyes and gave a defeated sigh.

"Oh, all right, I give!"

Edward chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Well, come on Bella, let's get going! We have lots to do and see and we need to get started. I'm going to tell Rosie we're leaving." Emmett stood up and went back upstairs.

Bella and Edward also got up from their chairs and started making their way down the hallway to the foyer. After a toe-curling kiss, during which Emmett kept tugging at Bella's arm to hurry her along, they went out the front door and hailed a taxi.

**  
A Change in Plans**

As the taxi slowly made its way through London traffic, Bella was staring out the window and wondering which amusement park she and Emmett were going to spend the day at. She hoped it wasn't too far away.

Emmett was being unusually quiet, obviously deep in thought about something. Bella knew from past experience that a quiet and thoughtful Emmett was not a good thing, especially for her.

"Emmett...what's going on in that head of yours?" Bella asked cautiously, waiting for Emmett to turn towards her so she could try to read in his face whatever was going on in his mind. Her suspicions were confirmed when Emmett got this crazy look on his face.

_Oh no, _Bella thought, _here it comes._

"You aren't taking me to an amusement park after all, are you? You're going to have me do something wild and crazy and it's going to get us in trouble with Edward, isn't it?" Bella was starting to get worried, imagining horrible things happening to her: twisted ankles, broken legs, dislocated shoulder, concussion…

Emmett looked surprised at Bella's comments. "Who says we're not going to an amusement park? We're still going, but I just had a crazy idea about which park we should visit."

"What do you mean by 'crazy idea'?" Bella asked, worried about where this was headed.

Emmett continued as if he hadn't heard her. "It's still an amusement park, although it won't be here in the city. There will be lots of rides and attractions. Edward never said we had to stay in London. Yup, that's our loophole!" Bella was suddenly afraid to find out what Emmett was planning.

"We've got to be fast about this, Bella, before Alice sees anything and Edward takes action to stop us."

"Emmett, what are you talking about? Give it to me straight, in plain English!" Bella was no longer in the mood to be patient with Emmett, not when she was having visions of all kinds of things going terribly wrong.

"What would you say to taking the train through the Chunnel and spending the day at Disneyland Paris?" Emmett's face was excited.

Bella had a stupid expression on her face, stunned into silence before she blew up. "Disneyland Paris? Are you serious? No, wait, let me rephrase that. _**ARE YOU INSANE?**_ Edward will flip! You never said anything about Paris, or a train ride to the continent!" Bella's hands were moving all over the place, from her lap to her face to her hair and back again.

"Bella, calm down. Edward never said we had to stay in the country and he never said train rides were forbidden. Haven't you ever wanted to see Disneyland? It's the happiest place on earth, Bella, and the best part is we can do it all in one day! It takes just a little over 2 hours to get to Paris riding the train. I'll take care of you, I promise! It'll be great…please, please, please Bella!"

"I don't think this is a good idea, Emmett," Bella said doubtfully. She was definitely thinking of Edward's reaction when he found out what Emmett had planned.

Emmett could see Bella was wavering and decided to press his advantage.

"Aw, come on Bella, lighten up! You have plenty of time to be Mrs. Responsible." He decided to pull out all the stops, even though it might get him into hot water with Edward. "Besides, are you going to let him treat you like a child, telling you what you can do, where you can go, what to say?"

Bella narrowed her eyes at Emmett, who hastily added, "Not that you would let anyone boss you around or anything, but now's your time to live it up!"

"Right..." Bella said sarcastically, "but when you say live it up I'm usually the one that gets into trouble which inevitably leads to me getting hurt!"

"Trust, Bella, remember? I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Bella looked at Emmett, not saying a word as she thought about the plan. Emmett tried to sit quietly but he was really anxious for Bella to agree. Slowly, a smile spread across her face, quickly matched by the smile that was lighting up Emmett's face.

"Okay, let's do it! Disneyland Paris, here we come!"

Emmett held his hand out to give Bella a very gentle hi-five, mindful of not hurting her hand. He spoke to the cab-driver. "A change in plans, good fellow. Please take us to the train station, fast as you can."

Back at the House

Alice was sitting on the sofa with Jasper, her head on his shoulder as he quietly read a book. Suddenly she froze as a vision started to play in her mind.

Jasper put down the book and grabbed Alice's shoulders. "Alice, sweetheart, what is it? What's happening?"

Alice came out of her vision the very moment an enraged roar came from Edward's bedroom, followed by a door slamming open and an angry Edward flying down the stairs.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Edward bellowed as he stormed into the room. "Do we have time to stop him?"

"No, Edward," Alice said miserably. "It's too late; they're already gone."

****

At the Park

"Look at this place, it's huge!" Emmett said as he looked around the amusement park.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like it!" Bella replied as she too took in the park, turning around and around as she tried to take in all the different sights and sounds.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Emmett grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her towards the Main Street where he spotted a Horse-Drawn Streetcar making its way down the street. "Yes! I've always wanted to ride on one of those Horse-Drawn Streetcars. Come on, let's hop on." Without waiting for Bella to reply he lifted her up onto an available streetcar and hopped in next to her. After going up and down Main Street, watching people and pointing out the different shops, with Emmett on occasion waving to little kids as they passed by, they got off the streetcar and went into the Liberty Arcade and the Discovery Arcade and spent about an hour in both.

The afternoon quickly passed by as they made their way to each part of the park, taking short breaks for one of Bella's "human moments" or when it was time for her to eat. Emmett was careful to make sure she didn't become too tired, hungry or thirsty. Bella was his responsibility and he wanted to prove to Edward that he could take care of her and keep her safe as well.

As they continued walking down the street Emmett noticed kids and parents wearing different hats or mouse ears. He saw a hat shop a few doors down and pulled Bella towards the shop. "Bella, you need Mouse Ears. Come on!" He led her inside to the section that held different types of Mouse Ears.

"Emmett, this is embarrassing!" Bella hissed. "I don't want to wear Mouse Ears! Only kids wear Mouse Ears, or their parents and that's only to get the kids to wear Mouse Ears!"

"Aw, come on Bella, it's practically a rite of passage. You can't visit Disneyland and not buy a pair of Mouse Ears. Besides, it's one of those 'human experiences' Edward keeps talking about. You don't want to disappoint him, do you?" Emmett knew he was hitting below the belt but he was determined that Bella should have her very own Mouse Ears.

"Oh, all right!" Bella said, sighing as she looked over the hats before pointing to one that caught her eye. "Okay, I'll take those, the pink ears."

"Great! Now, you've got to have them personalized with your name and the date."

"Are you kidding me?" Bella looked at Emmett in disbelief. "No way!"

"Yes, way! Come on Bella, you need a memento of this day and _everyone_ has their ears personalized. Please, do it for your big brother?" He gave her his puppy-dog eyes. Bella rolled her eyes before breaking down.

"Alright, alright!"

While they were waiting for her Mouse Ears to be personalized, Bella looked around the shop and caught sight of two other hats, a groom's top hat and a bride's hat. She smiled as a crazy idea popped into her head. Emmett saw the hats she was eying, as well as the look on her face and he started grinning. "Do it, Bella. You gotta get them!"

Bella handed both ears to the sales person to have personalized as well. She pulled out her wallet and saw that Edward had snuck several notes inside, including dollars and Euros, as well as a shiny black credit card that read "Bella Cullen". After a moment's thought she pulled the black credit card out of the wallet and handed it to the sales clerk. _Ok, Mr. Cullen, _Bella thought, _let's see how you react when you learn my first purchase on the card is a pair of Mouse Ears! _Bella started to giggle uncontrollably as she imagined first Edward's and then Alice's reaction to this memorable first time use of her credit card.

In The Meantime, Back in London…

Edward was pacing in the sitting room, wearing a hole in the floor while Alice stood nearby, also fuming. Rosalie sat in an armchair, buffing her nails, completely unconcerned with reactions of the two vampires standing nearby.

"How could you let him do this, Rosalie?" Edward said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop with the dramatics, Edward. I didn't even know he was thinking about Disneyland Paris." Rosalie paused, a thoughtful look on her face. "Instead of getting angry right away, just think about the situation for once, okay? You promised we could all spend one-on-one time with Bella, and that included Emmett. Emmett isn't going to let anything happen to her, Edward." Edward snorted at this, but Rosalie continued unperturbed.

"You're so concerned with Bella getting hurt you sometimes forget to let her live, to have all those 'human experiences' you keep telling her you want her to have. Emmett has a chance to share this one human experience with her, and who better than Emmett to appreciate it? You know he's like a little kid; this place is like heaven to him." Rosalie paused again, to make sure Edward was listening to her. "Edward, when it comes to Bella and her safety, Emmett is not a kid. He takes it very seriously and you know he will protect her at all costs. You have to trust him, Edward."

"I should just go to Paris, make sure everything is alright." Edward muttered under his breath.

"No, you will do no such thing!" Rosalie said as she stood up and faced her brother, hands on hips. "You do that and what you will be saying is "I don't trust you, Bella, and I don't trust you either my brother." How do you think they're going to feel about that?"

Edward ran his hands through his hair and then started to pinch the bridge of his nose, a sure sign he was under stress. Rosalie stance softened as she watched her brother. She knew it was out of concern for Bella, but he needed to understand she wasn't a child.

"Edward, we all want what's best for Bella, but you can't smother her. She's not your child; she's a woman and your fiancée. You have to trust that we will keep her safe and you have to show her that you trust her to not put herself in harm's way…"

Edward sat on the sofa and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his temples. What to do? What was there to do? He knew all he could do was wait and hope Emmett brought back Bella safely.

Alice sat next to Edward, and put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright, Edward. I know it will be."

Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirates Life for Me

Bella and Emmett spent the next couple of hours getting on all the rides they could. Bella made Emmett go with her on the "It's A Small World" ride 3 times, which was no hardship for Emmett because he loved the ride. She laughed hysterically when Emmett started singing "It's A Small World", joined by 30 small children ranging in age from 3 to 7, all singing at the top of their little lungs as their parents watched, amused by the big man who could inspire so many little children to sing.

Finally they made their way to the last ride of the day before they left Paris, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was Emmett's favorite ride and he was definitely channeling his inner-Alice because he couldn't keep still on his feet, hopping around excitedly as the line slowly moved forward.

Bella started laughing. "Emmett, I can't believe you. I mean, you're always like a big kid, but with this ride just thinking about it is making you act like the biggest kid ever!"

Emmett grinned at Bella. "What can I say, little sis, I am a big kid. That's what Rosalie loves most about me. She can be so serious but I can always make her smile and lighten up."

Before they had gone to stand in the queue for the Pirates ride, they had stopped by one of the gift shops so that Emmett could buy his Pirates of the Caribbean Pirate Hat, complete with dreadlocks, which Bella had insisted on paying for, once again pulling out the little black card. Emmett was now proudly wearing his hat, citing lines from the movie as the line slowly inched forward.

They finally reached the front of the line and Bella carefully stepped into the boat while Emmett watched to make sure she didn't trip and fall into the water. That would have been a very Bella-like thing to do. Once they were both safe in the boat and all the other passengers had taken their seats, the boat slowly started to move forward.

Emmett had a big smile on his face as he turned to Bella. "Have you ever been on this ride?"

Bella shook her head. "Nope, never. I've never been to Disneyland, remember, not even the one in California. My dad wanted to take me once before, but it didn't work out. This is my first time."

"Well, you're in for a treat. This is my favorite ride. It really isn't much of an adrenaline rush like the faster rides, but it's a lot of fun!"

"So…are there any big drops I should know about?" Bella asked Emmett as the boat continued to slowly move along.

"Well, it depends on what you mean by 'big drop'. If you're talking about a REALLY BIG DROP, then no, there isn't, but there is a nice sized drop ahead and the fun part is _not_ knowing when it's going to happen."

Bella could barely make out Emmett's features as it was getting darker the deeper into the cavern they went. "You would, of course, let your little sister know when it's going to happen, right?"

Bella could hear Emmett chuckling next to her. "Right, Emmett???" Bella repeated in a slightly higher voice.

"Little sis, part of the fun is not knowing. All of a sudden it happens and you feel this adrenaline rush and then you realize it's not as bad as you thought."

Emmett looked towards Bella and could see her squeezing her eyes shut. He decided he needed to get her to relax.

"Bella," he whispered loud enough for only her to hear. "One of the things you discover when you become a vampire is that your senses become sharper. Your sense of smell, your vision and your hearing are sharper. Now's your time to practice. Use your ears. What do you hear?"

He could see Bella listening hard. Her head jerked up and her eyes snapped open as she heard the faints screams coming from the boats in front of them. She smiled.

"I hear people screaming and boats rushing through water, before splashing down at the bottom. It's coming up, isn't it?"

Emmett smiled. "I knew you could do it."

As they neared the drop the people in the boat ahead of them started screaming as they went down the drop. Bella took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Emmett nodded approvingly as he tried to encourage her. "That's it, Bella, just let go."

The boat suddenly leaned forward and they went shooting down the drop, Emmett yelling, "YEAH!!!" as he threw his arms into the air. Beside him Bella let out a big "WHOO-HOO!!!" as she started laughing hysterically, her eyes shining as she turned her head towards Emmett who was grinning wildly. It was now light in the cavern and she could see Emmett grinning at her.

"You see, that wasn't so bad, was it? All that worrying for nothing," he teased as Bella playfully shoved his shoulder. Emmett pretended to fall back, both of them laughing because they knew Bella didn't have the strength to move his rock solid shoulder if he didn't want to move.

"Now comes the best part," he said with a maniacal grin on his face. Bella stopped laughing and looked at him suspiciously, sensing something embarrassing was about to happen. She remembered what Alice had said about Emmett's last trip to Disneyland and this particular ride. Her suspicions were confirmed when Emmett started humming pirate songs under his breath.

Bella shook her head and put her hands over her face. "Oh no, no, no. Emmett, what is wrong with you? Why are you always breaking into song like this?" This time there weren't just little kids around. There were teenagers, adult, and Bella didn't want to be the center of attention among that particular group.

"I don't know Bella! It's like someone turns on the music in my head and I can't control what comes out of my mouth!"

Bella kept shaking her head, pulling her head down and trying to hide. Emmett wasn't going to let that happen.

"Come on, Bella, you can do this. These people don't know you. You'll never see any of them again. I didn't make you sing when we went on the "It's A Small World Ride" but now it's time for you to loosen up and just let go, like you did before the drop. Come on, repeat after me: _Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…_"

Bella lifted her head a fraction and quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching before singing in a very quiet voice, "_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…_"

Emmett started grinning again as he sang the next line, "_We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho._"

"Go on, Bella, you can do it. Don't worry, just sing." Emmett encouraged.

"_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…_" Bella's voice started to get stronger as she let go of her fear of being in the spotlight and just enjoyed the moment. "_We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack. Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack, drink up me hearties, yo ho._"

Bella had a huge smile on her face as she sat up straight in her seat next to Emmett. Other people were smiling, but Emmett was right, she'd never see these people again and it was fun!

"That's it, little sister!" Emmett said as they both got ready to sing the next verse, but before they could get the words out the rest of the riders in their boat and in the boats surrounding them had gleefully taken up the song: "_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We kindle and char, inflame and ignite. Drink up, me 'earties, you ho. We burn up the city, we're really a fright. Drink up, me 'earties, you ho._"

Bella and Emmett just looked at each and laughed, before they joined the rest of the singing group as the ride continued to the end.

One Last Stop

"Thank you, big brother," Bella said as they left the park, giving Emmett a big hug. "That was so much fun. I had a fantastic time."

Emmett chuckled. "Me too, little sis. I'm glad you were able to relax and just enjoy yourself."

"Well, I did. I had a great time."

"Anytime, Bella. You know, I've always liked you, from the very beginning. You've always fit in with us, you know, like you were the missing piece in our family puzzle. I'm glad we get to spend eternity with you!"

"Aw, thanks!" Bella lightly punched Emmett on the chest. He again pretended to stagger backwards, enjoying the laugh he got from Bella every time he did it.

They hailed a taxi and got in to head back to the train station, Emmett carrying Bella's bags of souvenirs. Suddenly, Bella looked concerned. "Emmett, I just had a thought. We're going to be in big trouble when we get back, you know that, right?"

Emmett nodded and sighed, not looking forward to the coming confrontation with his brother.

"Oh Emmett, what are you so worried about? I won't let Edward take it out on you. What you should be worrying about is Alice. She's going to kill us!" Bella shook his arm.

"Oh, god, you're right. That little pixie is going to annihilate us!" Emmett started to panic a bit. Suddenly the idea of staying in Paris was starting to look good. He'd send word to Rosalie as soon as he could, begging her to join him in exile. He'd have to learn to live like a Frenchman, but what the heck, it would be fun. He could even start practicing the only French he knew, _Voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir. _Wait, better not practice that one.

Bella rolled her eyes at Emmett's reaction. "Calm down, Emmett. Your little sister already has this covered." Bella reached into her bag and took out her wallet. "Tell the driver to take us to the Champs- Elysées; we have one quick stop to make before catching the train back to London…"

Bella and Emmett Back in London

The taxi dropped Emmett and Bella off in front of the house. They quietly opened the door, Bella wearing her pink Mouse Ears and Emmett still wearing his Pirates of the Caribbean Pirate Hat with dreadlocks. Both listened to see who was home. All they heard was silence. They quietly made their way down the long hallway and into the sitting room, where they were met by an angry Edward and Alice. Jasper and Rosalie were sitting in the armchairs while Esme and Carlisle were sharing the couch. Rosalie looked unconcerned while Jasper was doing his best to keep the emotions calm in the room. Edward's arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were dark as he glared at his brother. His eyes briefly flickered to Bella and softened before hardening again when he returned his gaze to Emmett.

Emmett held up his hands in a placating manner as he entered the room, Bella at his side. "Hold on, Edward. I can explain…"

"I can't believe you did that! You were supposed to have a day of fun with Bella, HERE in LONDON, not on the same continent as the Volturi! What the hell were you thinking???" Edward growled in a low angry voice.

While Edward was having words with Emmett, Alice had a scowl on her face as she stared up at the ceiling. "Bella, I can't believe you! After all we've done to make sure you're safe…"

Bella started to interrupt. "Alice…"

Alice continued as if she hadn't even heard Bella speak. "…how could you not even consider taking _me_, your favorite sister, to the shopping capital of the world?"

Bella blinked at this unexpected, or perhaps expected, response from Alice and decided to try to head her off. "But Alice…"

"Oh, no! No "but Alice" from you! I'm so disappointed. We could have had a great time, but instead of shopping along the Champs-Elysées you pick Disneyland Paris as the place to do your shopping! And now all you have to show for being in Paris is Mouse Ears!" Alice stood with her arms folded across her chest, fuming.

Bella ducked her head, ashamed, before her face brightened as she remembered the surprise she had in her bag.

"Alice, I didn't come back empty-handed. Look…" Bella carefully pulled out the four lovely Hermes silk scarves that were carefully wrapped in the bag. "I made Emmett take me to the Hermés shop on the Champs-Elysées and I brought all of us girls back these lovely scarves…"

Alice squealed. "Bella! Hermes silk scarves! You went to Hermés! You actually went into a shop without me prompting you and you bought these exquisite scarves…" Alice lovingly caressed the scarf that Bella handed to her while Jasper watched in amusement. "Oh, it's beautiful…." Alice then caught herself and stood up straight, a stern look on her face. She shook a finger in Bella's face as she scolded her. "Alright, Miss Smarty-Pants, you're off the hook this time, but ditch me like that again and we're going to be having words!" Alice then squealed again and pulled Bella into a hug. "Thank you, little sister, I love the scarf!"

Jasper started laughing quietly from the armchair where he was still seated, amused at how easily Alice forgave Bella.

"I have one for you, Rosalie, and you too Esme." Bella handed the scarves to Rosalie and Esme who "oohed" and "ahh'd" over their prints. She turned to Carlisle and gave him a Disney Seven Dwarfs Doc Plushie toy for his office which made Carlisle chuckle and caused Bella to say, "Well, I thought it was appropriate, _Doc!_"

"Thank you, Bella, I'll treasure it for eternity." Carlisle teased.

She also handed both him and Jasper Chronograph Sports Mickey Mouse watches that were nice enough even Alice wouldn't object to them wearing them on occasion.

Bella timidly glanced in Edward's direction. He'd let Emmett off the hook as he'd obviously brought back Bella safe and unharmed, but he still looked angry. His gaze was intense and she couldn't read what he was thinking or feeling. She immediately went to him and put her arms around his waist as she laid her head against his chest, squeezing him as tight as she could.

"Please don't be angry with me, Edward." Bella said and she placed a soft kiss over his heart. Edward shivered and let out a small sigh, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her tight. Bella smiled into his chest, relieved he wasn't angry with her, but she thought it best to reassure him. "Emmett kept a really close eye on me and made sure I was safe. And we really did have a great time."

She could feel Edward nodding his head as his tense muscles started to relax. Bella decided to press her advantage.

"I even used my brand new shiny black 'Bella Cullen' credit card to buy those scarves and I swear I didn't blink once when I saw how much it was going to cost. I even bought my Mouse Ears and some other souvenirs with my new card."

Edward's shoulders started shaking as he began to laugh, amused to know that her limitless credit card had been used to buy Mouse Ears and other souvenirs at a theme park. "Great, the first time you use the card and it's with Emmett at Disneyland Paris buying Mouse Ears."

Bella laughed. "I got you something too…"

Edward smiled crookedly, pulling back a little so he could see Bella's face. "What did you buy for me?"

Bella opened up the bag and pulled out a personalized Mickey Mouse Ears Groom Top Hat and Minnie Mouse Rhinestone Bride Ears, both personalized with the names "Edward Cullen" and "Bella Cullen". Edward started laughing, Bella joining him as she put his top hat on his head and her bride hat on her own head.

* * *

A/N: Funny? Make you laugh? Did you enjoy? Click the button below and tell me :-)


	14. It's A Spa Day After All

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: Thanks for your patience! Here is the long awaited Rosalie/Bella chapter.

Also, I've been getting lots of PM's about when I'm going to start posting chapters of my Punk'd sequel. It's coming soon. In the meantime, you have to check out **AnEmotionalVampire**'s story, **"Punk'd: The Fallout".** It takes place after my story and tells how Emmett felt after the shock of being Punk'd wore off. What did all that emotional manipulation do to him? Will he recover in time for the Punk'd sequel? You've got to read it!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: It's A Spa Day After All**

Bella was snuggled up under the luxurious down comforter, having a very nice dream about her upcoming honeymoon with Edward. Just as she was getting to the really good part where Edward was finally going to take them to their 'happy place' she heard Alice's faraway sounding voice say, _"All good things come to those who wait, Edward and Bella… Remember, practice makes perfect…No, the rabbit can't die!" _

Bella's eyes snapped open. _"The rabbit can't die"? What the heck does that mean and why is Alice in my honeymoon dream? _

Bella sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes and looking around the room when she noticed Edward was standing by the door and blocking what appeared to be Alice, jumping up and down as if she were on a trampoline, trying to see into the room over Edward's shoulder. Edward was saying to Alice, "Not now, Alice, let her sleep a bit longer."

"Edward, she's got to get up." Alice's head appeared over Edward's shoulder again before disappearing from view. "It's our spa day…and we need to be there in an hour." Alice jumped again, just a little higher, before a wide grin appeared on her face as she noticed Bella sitting up in bed staring at her with wide open eyes.

"Oh goodie! Bella, you're awake! We've got a 9:00 appointment at the spa today and you are just going to love it! So, let's get to it, spit-spot!"

Edward quickly shut the door and returned to the bed, propping himself up on an elbow as he watched Bella stretch her arms and legs out, arching her back, which made Edward smile crookedly.

"And what is so amusing, Mr. Cullen?" Bella asked as she returned his smile.

"You are, my sweet. You reminded me of a kitten just now as you were stretching and arching your back. A very beautiful kitten…" Edward said as he reached over to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"A kitten? I think I like that description because it means I can do this…" Bella leaned over and rubbed up against Edward's chest, causing him to purr deep inside his chest. "And I can do this…" she softly whispered in his ear as she extended her fingers and lightly scratched his back with her nails. "Said the kitty to the lion…_Purr..."_

Edward shivered and let out a growl as he flipped Bella over onto her back and started nuzzling her neck, making purring noises of his own before moving to her lips and kissing her senseless.

"Wow!" Bella whispered after she caught her breath. "I should do that more often."

"I'll say," said Edward with one last kiss before sitting up against the headboard and pulling Bella onto his lap. "Did you sleep well, love?"

"Mm-hmm…" Bella said lazily, "but my legs are a little sore from all the walking Emmett and I did yesterday. I'm actually looking forward to this spa day."

Edward raised his eyebrows. "Wait; is this _my _Bella, telling me she's actually looking forward to a day of pampering?"

Bella playfully poked at Edward's chest. "Yes, _your_ Bella is looking forward to her day of pampering. I told you before, I've turned over a new leaf and I'm going to enjoy all these Cullen experiences while I can."

Edward laughed as he leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips. "Good!"

* * *

The Cullen ladies arrived at the exclusive spa Alice had booked reservations at and were greeted by a very solicitous staff who, after checking them in, led the ladies to changing rooms to change into robes and slippers. The changing rooms were huge and very elegant with a Zen-like quality that Bella already found relaxing.

They were led to a bright and inviting room. Bella's first treatment was going to be a facial, while the other girls had opted for manicures for obvious reasons. The esthetician led Bella over a quiet corner in the room and directed her to lie down on the massage table where she then covered Bella's eyes and used a bright lamp to examine Bella's skin.

"Gorgeous skin! Absolutely flawless, translucent skin without one single blemish. You are a lucky young woman to have absolutely perfect skin!" said the esthetician.

Alice answered from where she was having her nails buffed. "My brother thinks so too! He said it's one of the things he first noticed about her when they first met."

Bella blushed, causing the esthetician to laugh.

"Well, you are very lucky to have such perfect skin. If everyone had your skin I would be without a job."

The esthetician started to gently exfoliate Bella's skin, and quickly followed with a facial massage, her warm hands using gentle and light gliding strokes over Bella's face and down her neck and upper shoulders. Bella sighed in pleasure as she felt the tension fading away.

"Are you okay over there?" Bella heard Alice asking from where she was sitting having her nails buffed.

"Mm-hmm…" was the only reply Bella gave as the esthetician then applied a cool facial mask to Bella's face and placed two cucumber slices on Bella's eyes. The esthetician left to allow the mask to do its work and allow Bella to relax. Bella lay there quietly as she listened to Alice and Rosalie talk as the manicurists started painting their nails.

"Come on Rosalie, you can tell me. What's the most embarrassing thing you've made Emmett do to get back on your good side?"

"Alice! A wife isn't supposed to reveal those kinds of things to anyone! That's sacred information!" Rosalie said with a smile on her face, clearly not at all opposed to sharing embarrassing information about her mate.

"No it isn't! It's information stored away for use at a later date, such as when you're at a day spa with your mother and sisters. So start talking!"

"Okay, but this doesn't go any further than this room, got it?"

Alice was going to clap her hands but realized just in time her nails were being painted and restricted herself to a single, "Okay!"

"I made Emmett sing 'Y.M.C.A.' on karaoke night at a gay nightclub dressed as the cowboy in the Village People."

"What? Why didn't I ever see this? When did this happen and where?" screamed Alice as Rosalie scowled at her, telling her to keep it down. Esme was trying to hide her smile behind her hand.

"It was 1978 and you and Jasper were in Denali at the time while Emmett and I drove to New York City for a long weekend. It rained the whole weekend and I had such a time keeping dry. When we were walking back to the hotel Emmett thought he'd be funny and had us walk under an archway where water was pouring down, saying the umbrella could withstand the water weight. Well, guess what? It didn't. The umbrella crumbled and so did my hair! You know how I am about my hair! Emmett tried apologizing but I refused to listen. Finally, I told him if he took me to a karaoke bar and sang a song for me in front of everyone, I would forgive him. He jumped at the chance, until I told him he had to wear the cowboy costume and that it would be at a gay nightclub. The only thing that made him not back out was he knew it was the only way I would let him off the hook. When we got there I saw four other men dressed up like the Village People and asked them to sing the song with Emmett. They took one look at my Emmett and were only too happy to oblige." Rosalie laughed at the memory.

"Finally it was their turn to sing. They made Emmett march up the stairs before them so they could ogle his cute little bum and then the music started and my Emmett started singing with the rest of the guys. You should have seen his face when the biker guy pinched his bum!"

There was silence for five seconds before Alice, Rosalie and Esme started laughing uncontrollably. Bella herself was holding her sides as she laughed, her eyes starting to tear under the cucumbers. She couldn't get the image of Emmett singing in cowboy getup out of her mind.

Alice called over to Bella, "Bella, if you smile any wider you're going to crack the facial mask." This of course set Bella off laughing even harder.

The manicurists were trying to remain professional but even they had smiles on their faces.

Bella continued to laugh quietly on the massage table, waiting for the esthetician to return. She reappeared a few minutes later and started removing the cucumbers from Bella's eyes. Then she gently removed the facial mask with the warm, wet towels she had brought to her workstation. Once she had removed all traces of the facial mask she thoroughly moisturized Bella's face, neck and shoulders and then led all four women to the relaxation room where they sat on oversized chairs. A spa attendant came in with a pot of tea and poured each of the women a cup of the sweet brew. Esme, Rosalie and Alice pretended to 'drink' their tea while Bella sipped at hers and thought about what treatment she wanted to try next.

Alice was looking over the "menu" of services offered by the facility. "Ooh, Bella, this one sounds interesting. _'No visit could be complete without platza, a traditional Russian spa treatment that entails being lightly beaten by oak branches soaked in olive oil soap.'_ How about that one? Ooh, ooh, wait! What about a hot stone massage? _'Heated river stones are skillfully used with massage strokes, adding a unique enhancement to the overall massage experience. It doesn't get any better than this!'_ That one sounds good!"

Rosalie and Esme were looking at Alice with slightly incredulous looks on their face, while Bella calmly continued to sip her tea.

"I don't think so, Alice. Getting slapped around with branches is not my idea of a relaxing spa treatment. And hot rocks on my back just doesn't do anything for me other than make me say "ouch!"

"Bella, why must you always be so difficult?" Alice said as she rolled her eyes.

"Difficult?" Bella asked incredulously. "Your skin is like granite, mine isn't. It will be just my luck my back will end up scratched and possibly bleeding, not a good thing around vampires. And the hot stones? Can you say "third degree burn" because I just know if it can happen, it will happen to me!"

Esme thought it was time to interrupt before things escalated. "Alice, dear, Bella is right. We don't know how it feels for her. I think we should let her decide on what she feels would be relaxing for her."

"Oh, alright!" Alice huffed before sweetly asking Bella, "So, Bella, which would you prefer, the all-intense Swedish massage, the relaxing deep tissue massage, or the aromatherapy massage?"

Bella was looking over the descriptions of each of the massages before cheekily replying, "I'll go with the Aromatherapy massage." Bella looked up and winked at Alice. "I think I can handle _'30 minutes of pure relaxation with a massage that incorporates relaxing movements to reduce stress and ease the body while incorporating essential oils blended to suit you.'_ Bella noticed Alice smiling smugly and a thought occurred to her.

"Hey, that's not fair. You already knew what I was going to pick, didn't you?"

Alice nodded triumphantly. "You bet I did. Sorry, Bella, I had to let you feel like you're part of the decision making process here."

Bella shook her head slowly. "Right..."

After Bella had her massage (where she had at one point fallen asleep) and eaten a light lunch, the girls decided to take advantage of the huge hot tubs. Alice and Esme were mindful that Bella and Rosalie needed to spend some quality time together so they opted to jump into one of the hot tubs a few feet away while Bella and Rosalie stepped into the hot tub nearest the huge windows overlooking a conservatory filled exotic flowers and large trees.

Bella moaned as she stepped into the hot tub with the jets blowing all around. "Oh, gosh, this feels so good!"

Rosalie gave a little sigh as she sat down opposite Bella. "You can say that again."

"Oh, gosh, this feels so good!"

Rosalie opened one eyed and replied, "Smart ass..."

* * *

"You know, Rosalie, I'm getting to know a completely different side of you, one I never realized existed." Bella said as she sank lower into the warm water with her eyes closed as she let the water jets work their magic. "This feels so good…"

"Well, that's not surprising, seeing as we are so much alike…" replied Rosalie who was leaning her head back against a small pillow an attendant had placed behind her head.

Bella's eyes popped open as she sat up straight in the Jacuzzi, surprised by Rosalie's response. "Excuse me, did I hear right? You just said that we're alike?" Bella asked incredulously.

"Oh come on, Bella. You can't be totally surprised." Rosalie had sat up as well and was carefully watching Bella's face.

Bella met Rosalie's gaze and raised her eyebrows in response. "Actually, I am very surprised. Would you care to elaborate?"

Rosalie laughed out loud. "Bella, don't look so stricken. You act as if I've accused you of something terribly bad. Have I really been that awful to you?"

"Well, you and I haven't exactly been what you could call "bosom-buddies." For most of our relationship you've ignored my existence, while I did my best to stay off your radar. I think of any two people, you and I would have the greatest differences. I don't get how you could think we're alike."

"Don't you see, Bella? It's not the differences but the similarities that I've always had issues with."

"What are you talking about, Rosalie?" Bella asked, confused as to what direction this conversation was headed.

"Our similarities Bella… Shall I count them for you?" Rosalie asked with an amused look on her face. "Let's start off with the obvious. We're both come from families where we are the only child, just as Edward was an only child. Both of us have issues with self esteem and inherent insecurities." If a vampire could blush, Rosalie would have been lobster red at this point when she continued with her next admission. "I can't believe I'm going to tell you this, but I've always been jealous of you."

"Jealous? _Of me_?" Bella was stunned, not expecting this comment from Rosalie. "_Why_? I'm nothing special Rosalie. I'm just plain, ordinary Bella whereas you are drop dead gorgeous, command attention wherever you go and you're absolutely fearless…" Bella's voice trailed away as she looked down at the water.

"That's not true, Bella. You are beautiful." She stopped as she noticed the look of disbelief on Bella's face. "Okay, let me rephrase that. You are not as beautiful as I, but you have a quiet beauty that draws men like moths to a flame. Most of the male student body at Forks High would agree. My brother most definitely does!" Bella's expression hadn't changed, which made Rosalie huff, "I can see Edward is right. You really don't see yourself clearly."

"I'm sorry, Rosalie, but it's just hard for me to think that way about myself. All of you are so beautiful and then look at me."

"Okay, then let's agree to disagree and we'll revisit this issue at a later date." Rosalie laughed as she lay her head back again against the pillow.

It was quiet for about 5 minutes as each of them reflected on Rosalie's admission, but Rosalie was not yet finished. She felt she needed to get this out, so Bella would understand where she was coming from, and vice versa.

"You're one of the most courageous persons I've ever met, vampire or human, although I must say I've always thought you can't possibly be playing with all your marbles if you can spend all your time with vampires, let alone choose to marry one. I can't tell you how pleased I am to know you picked a vampire over the dog." Rosalie chuckled as Bella scowled her diapproval of Rosalie's veiled referenced to Jacob, before continuing, "Actually, there's a lot about you I've always admired, even if I didn't want to admit it to myself or anyone else for that matter. You're extremely loyal. When you feel strongly about something you're not afraid to say so, even if my pig-headed brother disagrees. You can put him in his place, so I have to give you big points for that! And it takes a truly special person to inspire the type of devotion and loyalty that my family has had for you from the very beginning."

"But Rosalie, everything you describe about me, that's you too!" Bella quietly stated as she watched Rosalie fidget in the water.

"That's precisely my point, Bella. _Our similarities_…" Rosalie responded with a smile, one free of the sarcasm which was usually evident whenever she spoke with or about Bella. "And as I was saying earlier, I was jealous. Not only are you beautiful but you also are the only girl Edward has ever been attracted to, which was a huge blow to my pride considering he never once looked at me the way he looks at you. I mean, how dare he not worship the ground I walk on?" Rosalie joked, smiling to take some of the sting out of the old hurt.

Bella smiled in understanding as she waited for Rosalie to continue. She could see Rosalie struggling with whatever it was she wanted to say next. Rosalie took a deep breath and blew it out.

"And then there was how easily everyone welcomed you into the family. Esme took to you right away, immediately protective of you. Carlisle had no reservations about trusting you with our secret. You and Alice bonded instantly and your relationship with her was closer than the one I had with Alice and I've known her for half a century!"

Alice and Esme had been listening to their conversation with some concern and decided it was time to join the two in their hot tub.

Alice turned to Rosalie. "Rosalie, I've always felt like you were my sister. Even though we're different, I took to you from the very beginning."

"I know Alice, but our relationship is different from yours and Bella's. With her you do all types of human things, things you never considered asking me to do with you."

"Oh, Rosalie, I'm sorry. I just never thought…" Alice trailed off, uncertain how to respond.

Rosalie looked at Bella. "There are times when I think you fit in better with the Cullen family than I do." She gave a short laugh. "And if all that wasn't enough, there you were, human Bella Swan, ready to give up the one thing I desperately wished with all my heart: to be mortal again."

Bella, Esme and Alice couldn't believe everything Rosalie was revealing. Had she always been so insecure?

Rosalie continued oblivious to the reactions around her. "The first time I ever felt some sort of connection to you was after Edward told us how you'd almost been attacked in Port Angeles. I was relieved he'd been able to save you from my fate. If only I'd had someone to save me the night I was attacked…" she shook her head to clear the memory. "I was so ready to hunt down those monsters who tried to attack you and I would have if Emmett and Carlisle hadn't stopped me!"

Bella reached out and squeezed Rosalie's hand. She was grateful when Rosalie smiled and squeezed her hand back.

"Even though I was still afraid you would expose us if Edward continued to see you, I might have been more accepting if I hadn't learned you were so eager to give up the one thing I desperately wish for even to this day, the only thing I've ever wanted to have back, mortality. The chance to be human again... What I wouldn't give to be able to sleep at night and dream once more. To not be afraid to get too close to a human for fear they will notice how unnaturally cold I am. Or to be able to give Emmett a child, a child we would both love and protect with our lives. Or be able to spend year after year with Emmett going through life's changes. Can you imagine Emmett with gray hair and a paunchy belly and me with crow's feet and love handles?"

Everyone shared a much needed laugh at this point, picturing in their minds what a fat and graying Emmett and Rosalie would look like. It wasn't easy.

"None of these things can happen to an immortal frozen in time. All the things you're so willing to give up…"

"Rosalie, I know you don't agree with my decision. You never have, but I respect that and I do understand where you're coming from. You know, not all of us want the things you want. I don't come from the same era as you where a girl's dream was to marry young and have lots of babies and take care of a home. I come from a background where marriage caused nothing but heartache and I was taught to avoid it like the plague." Bella paused as she looked at Rosalie, carefully watching for _her _reaction. Rosalie was calm and it was clear she was listening so Bella continued.

"But, I know you understand what it's like when you meet the one person you can't exist without. There is nothing you wouldn't do to be with them, nothing you wouldn't give up. Yes, I may be giving up my mortality, but in exchange I get to spend eternity with the man I love. And I may be giving up the opportunity to have children, but if they can't be Edward's children then I don't want to have them."

"And yet again we share the same similarities because I would make the same choice too." Rosalie replied. "I'm just sorry that it took so long for me to come to that realization. We could have been friends for much longer if I hadn't been what Edward likes to call 'pig-headed'?"

They all laughed at that. Bella shook her head. "No, Rosalie, we would have been sisters for much longer, but that's okay because you have eternity to make it up to me!" Bella said this with a cheeky expression on her face.

"Yes Bella, sister-mine, you'll have forever to regret it!" Rosalie teased in return.

Alice clapped her hands as Esme leaned over to give both Rosalie and Bella a hug and a motherly kiss on the check. "Enough with all this serious talk! We're supposed to be relaxing."

Bella laughed out loud. "In case you hadn't noticed, Alice, I _am _relaxed. In fact, I'm more than relaxed. I'm puckered!" Bella lifted her arms out of the water to reveal her skin had puckered from the warm water. "And I'm thirsty! What does a girl have to do to get an iced tea around here?" she asked.

Rosalie shook her head. "Bella, _little sister, _let me show you how it's done." Rosalie lifted one leg from the Jacuzzi just as a young male attendant bent down to lay towels nearby the ladies. She stretched out one long leg as she pushed her chest out and peered up at the young man through her lashes as she asked in a low and husky voice, "Excuse me, but is there any way we could get an iced tea over here to this poor young lady?" The young man's mouth fell open and he dropped what he was carrying as he scurried off to fetch an iced tea.

"Ooh, that was impressive, Rosalie…" chuckled Alice as Rosalie gave her a smug smile. "Very impressive, especially in light of the fact the poor young man bats for the other side, if you know what I mean."

Rosalie's mouth dropped open as Bella started to openly laugh along with Esme.

Rosalie recovered well, joining in the laughter. "Well, when you've got it, you've got it!"

* * *

A/N: This was a really tough chapter to write because the relationship between Rosalie and Bella is really complex, but I wanted Bella to see a more playful side of Rosalie, as addition to the two having their heart-to-heart talk. I hope you aren't disappointed with the results! Next up, Jasper and Bella's day. But let me know your thoughts on the Rosalie/Bella chapter. Thanks!


	15. The Many Sides of Major Jasper Whitlock

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

A/N: Thanks for your patience! My brother is still in the hospital in critical condition but he's making some small progress and we're hopeful that his recovery is imminent. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers…I really believe they're working!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: The Many Sides of Major Jasper Whitlock**

Jasper was sitting in an armchair near the open French doors in his and Alice's bedroom, quietly reading a book to pass the time while he waited for Alice to finish getting ready for the day.

"Are you almost ready, Alice?" Jasper asked.

A muffled voice came from the huge walk-in closet at the opposite end of the room. "Not yet, Jazz. Ugh! I can't decide what to wear…" Alice was muttering to herself as she tossed clothes back and forth. Jasper chuckled to himself. His wife had the ability to see into the future but would never look ahead to see what she would be wearing on any given day. Her answer was always, _"Why would I want to do that? If someone gave you a gift you wouldn't want them to tell you what was in it before you opened it, would you? When I get ready in the morning I open my "gift", the closet, and let myself be surprised by what I find."_

"Why don't you go see if Bella and Edward are ready?" she called out again from the closet.

"As if you don't already know the answer to that one," Jasper said with a smile as he got up from the chair, walked to the closet and kissed Alice on the forehead before setting out to find Bella and Edward.

After a week of early morning starts, Edward had announced to the family that Bella was going to have a lie-in and he wouldn't allow anyone to disturb her sleep. Bella had slept in until 11 am, waking up looking refreshed and ready for the day.

Today Edward and Bella were going to accompany Jasper and Alice to the Imperial War Museum, a place Jasper had been looking forward to visiting since he and Alice started planning the London itinerary. Plus, he hoped it would give him the opportunity to spend a little time with Bella, just the two of them. As hard as it was at times for Jasper to be around Bella and her scent, he cherished the moments he was able to interact with her. There was a quality about Bella that drew people to her in much in the same way Jasper was able to draw people to himself. The soldier in him admired her for her strong will and endless courage when faced with danger, even if on occasion he was the danger.

Jasper could hear Bella's heartbeat coming from the sitting room and made his way to the room. As he stepped through the doorway he saw her sitting on the large sofa with her feet tucked up under legs, absorbed in the book in her hands.

"Bella, I thought I'd find you in here," said Jasper. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. Alice is getting ready and asked me to check on you."

"Not at all, Jasper. I'm just reading to pass the time," said Bella as she looked up from her book with a smile. She quickly patted the spot next to her on the couch and closed her book to give him her undivided attention. It amazed Jasper yet again to see how at ease she was around him; she always treated him as a friend and brother and he was grateful for it. Still, he had to brace himself when he sat next to her on the sofa. He was always mindful of the need to be in control of his thirst when he was around Bella.

"Well, this is nice. It seems you and I never get the chance to do this, not with the way my brother and even my wife sometimes monopolize your attention!" he said with a big grin.

Bella laughed. "I suppose you're right, Jasper. We don't get very many opportunities for one-on-one chat sessions, do we?" she teased. "Hopefully that will change in the near future?"

"Yes, I'm sure it will," he said. "I hope you don't mind spending the afternoon at a war museum, Bella. I know it's not up your alley, but you know my interest in all things military and I hear this museum is a can't-miss experience. I'm very excited about visiting this museum."

"Oh, I can tell," said Bella as she playfully bumped his arm with her fist. "I'm not an empath, but I can feel the excitement rolling off you! It's almost like you're channeling Alice!"

Jasper laughed. "Well, it shouldn't be surprising seeing how Alice and I have been together for half a century. I knew some of her endless energy and enthusiasm for life was bound to rub off on me!" They both laughed comfortably together.

"Are you sure you're okay with visiting the museum today? I can always do this some other day if museums are not your interest."

"Oh, I don't mind at all, Jasper. I'm really looking forward to this. I love museums, any kind really. It's amazing how you can lose yourself for hours as you look at events through history and see how much has changed in the world."

"I guess you do understand," Jasper said with a fond smile on his face.

Bella looked around the sofa. "And speaking of change, where is Alice? Is she still trying to figure out what she's going to wear today?"

"Of course," Jasper laughed. "You know my Alice…"

Both of them looked up as they heard footsteps approaching. Edward entered the room, followed a few seconds later by Emmett and Rosalie.

Edward walked over to the sofa and lifted Bella into his arms before sitting down and setting her on his lap. "Good morning, Jasper. And good morning to you, my love," he said to Bella as he gave her a sweet kiss. "I'm sorry I took so long. I just needed to make a few calls and now that those are out of the way I'm all yours!"

"Good, because I'm not going to let you out of my sight today," Bella quietly said as she kissed him back. Edward looked into her eyes and just as quietly answered back, "I should hope not. Like I said, I'm all yours, Bella, forever."

Rosalie rolled her eyes in a good-natured way while Emmett started making kissing noises in the background.

"Pay no attention to the rude children in the room, Bella," Jasper said to Bella in a show of brotherly support. "We just treat them like ghosts; eventually they leave the room if you ignore them long enough."

"Hey! I resent that implication!" cried Emmett in a mock-insulted voice. "I have feelings, you know! What do you take me for, a cold, heartless and dead human being?"

"As a matter-of-fact, I do. You are most definitely cold as ice, without a heart and you are without a doubt dead as the day is long," Jasper said with a dead-pan expression on his face. Emmett knitted his brows as he thought it over for a second before laughing.

"HAH! Good one, Jasper!" Emmett roared as he got the joke.

"My brother, the "rocket scientist" in the family…" Edward muttered, anxious for this conversation to be over. "So, are you sure you and Rosalie don't want to join us at the museum?"

"Not on your life, my brother," Emmett replied without hesitation as he went to stand near the fireplace, slapping Edward on the back as he passed the sofa and almost causing Bella to catapult off Edward's lap. Rosalie just shook her head but didn't say anything. "You know I don't like museums, Edward. Never have, never will."

Bella perked up, interested in hearing this story. "Why is that, Emmett? I thought you liked them."

"Bella, I'm game to try anything _except_ for two things: One, I don't go for that Shakespeare dude and any of his plays, and two, I avoid museums if I can. They both give me the creeps!" Emmett shivered to emphasize the point he was trying to make.

Bella looked at Edward who merely shrugged his shoulders. "I long ago stopped trying to understand how his mind works, Bella." Bella turned back to Emmett.

"Okay, so museums give you the creeps? How so? You're a vampire; you're supposed to be fearless and you didn't seem to have a problem with the Tower of London with its ghosts."

Emmett snorted. "That's because the Tower is technically not a museum, Bella, and a lot of it was outdoors. In my opinion museums are like great big tombs. You have to be quiet, every little noise echoes off the walls and they go on and on and on… No thank you."

"Oh please, Emmett, that's not the real reason. Go on, tell her," said Alice as she walked into the room and sat herself on Jasper's lap. Emmett made like he had a zipper on his mouth and he was sealing it shut. "Okay, then I will." Alice turned to Bella, a twinkle in her eye. "It's because he can't sing inside a museum. The last time he tried was when we visited the Seattle Art Museum with Carlisle and Esme back in 1985. Emmett started to sing 'The Lonely Goatherd' from the Sound of Music and needless to say museum security was not amused when Emmett yodeled "Odl lay ee" while it echoed off the museum walls."

Bella turned her face into Edward's neck as she shook with laughter. Emmett just grinned. "Hey, what can I say? The acoustics were great!"

Alice shook her head before continuing. "If Emmett doesn't want to join us he doesn't have to, but I have a _very _strong feeling he might change his mind later on."

Emmett looked as if he didn't know whether or not to believe Alice until he noticed the grin on her face. Emmett slapped his knee with his hand and started laughing. "Hah! Right, Alice. You almost had me there."

Alice laughed her tinkling laugh and shook her head again as Jasper gave her a questioning look, wondering if there was more to her cryptic statement before deciding all would reveal itself in time.

"Does anyone know what Carlisle and Esme's plans are for the day?" asked Bella as she looked around the room, not hearing the voices of either one in the house.

Edward answered Bella. "Carlisle is taking Esme to see the Hampton Court Gardens. Esme loves gardens and she wants to see if she can take some ideas back with her, for the Denali house."

"Come on Emmett, if we don't want to be late for the auto show we need to leave now," said Rosalie as she looked at her watch and got up from the armchair.

"Okay, Rosie." Emmett followed Rosalie to the front door, calling out over his shoulder, "Enjoy your time at the tomb, or whatever."

Edward, Bella, Alice and Jasper grabbed their coats from the hall closet and hailed a cab for the short ride to the museum.

* * *

The two couples walked through the museum, taking in the exhibits and reading the plaques in front of each display. As it was a British museum its focus was on British military history, but there were references to the wars in America which were quite informative although unnecessary. Jasper was an avid reader of history, particularly military history and knew everything there was to know about weapons of war, battle concepts and the arts of war.

Edward was pointing towards an exhibit he thought might be of interest to Bella when he heard Jasper's voice in his head. _Edward, would it be alright if I spent some time with Bella?_

Edward nodded his agreement. "Bella, love, I'm going to get you a bottled water from the kiosk we passed a few rooms down. Why don't you stay here with Jasper and Alice? I'll be back as quickly as possible."

Alice, having already seen Jasper's request, quickly piped up. "I'll go with you, Edward! I think I saw something that Jasper wants, but he doesn't know it yet." She said this with a wink, causing everyone to laugh as Jasper and Bella proceeded to the next exhibit while Alice and Edward walked towards the kiosk.

Jasper watched Bella, curious to know what she was feeling or if she were nervous at being alone with him. All he felt was calmness and serenity. Not one bit of nervousness. He smiled at Bella as they continued on into the next room.

"Jasper, look! They have a special exhibit about the wars in former British colonies, including America. There's a section about the Civil War!" Bella quickly walked over to the first display, a wax figure of a Union soldier standing over a fallen Confederate soldier. Jasper followed more slowly, staring avidly at the display, lost in his thoughts of that long ago time. They continued walking through the room, looking at old guns and ammunition, uniforms and supplies and cannons used by both Union and Confederate armies.

"Well, Major Whitlock, what do you have to say about all of this?" Bella had moved past the displays of Civil War weapons and memorabilia and was now looking at a series of portraits on the wall. Suddenly she came to a complete stop in front of one portrait.

"Oh my god, Jasper. It's you!" Bella said as she pointed to the portrait. Jasper hurried over to where Bella was standing and looked at the portrait she was pointing towards.

"I don't believe it," Jasper whispered, stunned to see a picture of himself in the exhibit. He was standing proudly at attention in his Confederate uniform, and in the background was none other than Jefferson Davis, the 1st and only President of the Confederate States of America. There was a plaque underneath the portrait and Jasper read the writing out loud. _"Major Jasper Whitlock, a young and charismatic soldier who was quickly rising through the ranks of the Confederate Army, disappeared without a trace in 1863 in Texas. Major Whitlock was presumed dead by his army unit."_

"Do you remember when this portrait was taken?" Bella quietly asked, seeing that Jasper was trying to remember things in his past.

"Actually I do. It was a few months before I was changed. It's one of the few memories I have of my time in the army." Jasper paused as he gazed at the portrait, trying to pull up other memories. "That was my horse…his name was… _Sirocco_! A sirocco is a hot cyclonic type of wind in the Sahara Desert. I can remember he was fast, like a tornado! Even in our human lives we Cullens are addicted to speed!"

Jasper continued to stare at the portrait. "I can see other images from my past but nothing concrete. I remember how it _felt_ to lose comrades, but I can't remember their faces…"

Bella was quiet as she listened to Jasper recall bits of his human past. However, Jasper was in tune with her emotions and while he sensed sadness on his behalf he also sensed curiosity. "What is it, Bella? I can sense you're curious about something. You can ask me anything."

Bella hesitated for a few seconds. "What was the hardest thing for you to deal with after you were changed? Was it the bloodlust, or was it being able to remember your human feelings and emotions, but not the faces of people you knew or loved?"

"I guess it was a little of both. The bloodlust was very strong for me after my change. Maria, the vampire who changed me, gave me free rein to indulge my new appetite. But I did struggle. I had flashbacks of the men I had served with, my comrades, and you can't imagine how it tortured me to think that perhaps one of those persons sacrificed for my thirst might have been a comrade I could not remember."

Bella, as ever perceptive of people's thoughts or emotions, asked, "Does it still torture you to be around me? Are you still struggling with the 'what ifs' when it comes to me?"

Jasper paused as he gathered his thoughts, trying to think how best to convey what he next wanted to tell Bella without scaring or offending her.

"Go ahead Jasper, take all the time you need," said Bella, understanding that Jasper was struggling with something he wanted to tell her.

Jasper nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Bella. I…it's sometimes still a struggle for me, but it's gotten better over time. I have more self-control now… well, more since your little paper-cut incident…" He looked over at Bella and was grateful to see her smile. "But there is something that has helped me greatly with my control."

"What is it?" Bella asked. "I don't want you to suffer on my behalf, Jasper."

"It's love, Bella, love for you and not just because you're Edward's mate. Love for my sister and a desire to protect and keep her safe, even from myself."

"Love? For me?" Bella asked, slightly stunned at this admission. He'd never made her feel like an outsider, had always included her as one of them and she had suspected a fondness in him towards her, but he had never admitted to loving her like a sister.

"And what's so surprising about that, Bella?" Jasper asked with one eyebrow quirked in surprise.

"Please don't be offended, Jasper. I don't even know why I should be surprised. You've always treated me as if I were a member of the family." Bella looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting and folding nervously as she tried to formulate the words she wanted to say. Sensing her tension, Jasper used his ability to calm Bella.

"How could I not love you, Bella? In the years since I was changed I have always had a hard time being around humans. You were no exception. But my wife loved and adored you from the first time she had a vision of you and how important you were going to be to Edward and to this family. Even if I hadn't gotten to know you as well as I do now, I would have loved you simply for the happiness you've brought to Edward's life." He paused and saw Bella was listening intently. "In all the years I've known Edward the dominant emotions I've felt coming from him were self-loathing, loneliness, sadness. It's hard enough having to deal with the emotions of everyone else, while trying to contain my own bloodlust, but throw in dark and brooding Edward and it can be pretty depressing. Then you came into his life and he was throwing out feelings of joy, happiness, hope, contentment, love…the same emotions I feel coming off of you. Now there is always laughter in our house. There is always joy. I literally soak it up and send it out to everyone else. Edward laughs effortlessly, every day and all day long. As do the rest of us and it's because of you!"

Jasper looked up to see Bella still looking at him, but with tears streaming down her face. He smiled at her fondly before walking over to her and doing what any big brother would do for his crying sister. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the tears from her face, before giving her a quick and gentle hug.

"Thank you, Jasper," Bella whispered.

"You belong with us, Bella. Like I've told you before you are most definitely a Cullen, through and through. And always know this…I will always be there to help you, support you and protect you, okay? Never doubt that." Bella nodded her head as Jasper wiped the rest of her tears from her face and patted her arm. "Alright, sister of mine, no more tears, not even the happy kind…" teased Jasper. "It's time to laugh and I have a feeling it's going to happen very soon…"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked as she looked around.

"Well, Alice had a vision of Emmett changing his mind and coming to the museum to stir up a little mischief. Why don't we turn the tables on him?" Jasper looked up, his vampire hearing picking up the sounds of Emmett's and Rosalie's voices at the entrance of the museum.

He and Bella quickly walked to the balcony overlooking the entrance, keeping out of view. They spotted Emmett and Rosalie now standing at the foot of the stairs leading to the second level.

"Hey Rosie," said Emmett, his voice echoing off the walls. "I know I saw them go this way. Aw, man, I hate museums!"

Rosalie quickly hissed at Emmett, "Be quiet! They're going to toss us out if you don't keep your voice down!"

Jasper looked at Bella, a mischievous glint in his eyes and an evil grin on his face. "Bella, were you aware that I'm a master ventriloquist and can throw my voice anywhere I want to send it?"

Bella returned the grin. "Are you thinking of doing what I think you're planning on doing?"

"Yup… What do you say to a little fun at the expense of our dear beloved brother and his lovely wife?" was Jasper's reply.

"Jasper, this is a side of you I've never seen. How evil, how devious, how did you know that was exactly what I had in mind?"

"Hah! Great minds think alike, little sister. Stick with me and watch how it's done," Jasper replied as he and Bella made their way back to the Civil War exhibit room, ready to put their plan into action.

* * *

Alice and Edward were taking their time going through the small kiosk, wanting to give Jasper plenty of time to talk with Bella.

"Uh-oh…" Alice said, causing Edward to quickly turn towards her. He could see in Alice's mind that Emmett and Rosalie had shown up at the museum and Emmett was up to no good. Then he heard Jasper's thoughts including his plan to thwart Emmett. Jasper's thoughts also showed Bella was on board for this little bit of mischief. Edward opened his eyes and looked Alice, each starting at the other for about two seconds before they both started laughing. They scrambled out of the kiosk as quickly as they could without drawing attention from the humans in the room, running back to where Bella and Jasper were to watch the prank play out.

* * *

Emmett and Rosalie had finally found the Civil War exhibit room and were slowly walking through the exhibit, looking at the memorabilia and figurines on display.

"Dead man. Another dead man. Old gun. Rusty old cannon. Old faded picture. Another dead man. What did I tell you, Rosie, it's like a tomb in here!" Emmett said as he walked beside Rosalie. They still hadn't seen any of the others and had concluded there were in another part of the museum.

Rosalie started rubbing her arms. "This place is giving me the creeps, Emmett. It's almost like the figures and portraits are really staring at us…"

Emmett nodded, looking back towards the exits. "Yeah, I know what you mean. All of a sudden I'm feeling a little anxious."

"I'm feeling a little "anxious", Emmett? We don't have time for that! I swear, that's the last time I'm ever going to let you watch Beetlejuice!" Rosalie whispered furiously.

"What did I say?" he asked before realizing Rosalie misunderstood what he was talking about. "Not that type of "anxious", Rosalie. I feel like I'm on edge, nervous, like something is going to happen."

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub_

Emmett whispered, "That's a heartbeat. Rosalie, are you making that sound?"

"Don't be funny, Emmett, you know I don't have a heartbeat." Rosalie said as she rolled her eyes.

Emmett listened carefully for the sound again. _Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub_.

"There it is again!" Emmett said, before looking down at his chest. "You don't think it's me, do you?"

Rosalie again rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emmett, your heart has restarted and now you're mortal again."

"It could happen. After all, we _are _mythical creatures, aren't we? If someone were to write our story they could make it a possibility…"

Rosalie was no longer listening to Emmett. Something had caught her attention and she quickly strode to the wall with a series of portraits.

"Emmett!" she hissed. "Come here! Look! It's Jasper's portrait!"

Emmett hurried over to the portrait. "Well, I'll be… it IS Jasper. How in the heck did someone get hold of this? I wonder if Jasper's seen it."

Both Emmett and Rosalie shivered as if a cold, creepy prickly feeling were running up and down their spines. They didn't see Jasper in his hiding spot with Bella as he concentrated on sending out feelings of tension while trying to keep from laughing or setting off Bella who was barely holding on.

Suddenly Rosalie and Emmett heard a voice come from the direction of Jasper's portrait.

"_It's time to separate the men from the boys, General. You have no place here, little Appalachian man!"_

Emmett's eyes were wide as he stood staring at Jasper's portrait. He whispered to Rosalie, "That picture is talking to me…"

"_Speak louder, soldier! Whispering is for the womenfolk, not men of action!"_

"_No women allowed in the ranks. Move yourself off to the nursing tents by the kitchens, woman!"_

Rosalie glared up at the portrait. "I'll tell you where you can go, you…."

Emmett put his arm around Rosalie, pulling her away from the portrait. "Don't, Rosalie. Don't make it angry. We don't know what other ghosts or spirits are in the room…"

Bella and Jasper were behind a huge column near the exit, trying not to laugh, while Edward and Alice were at the opposite end doing the same.

Emmett and Rosalie moved away from the Jasper portrait and as they were passing by the display of a Union soldier figure they both jumped when they heard a faint heartbeat coming from the soldier's direction. _Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub…_

"Rosie, there _are_ ghosts in this room. What did I tell you; didn't I tell you these places are like tombs and the dead live in them?" Emmett started scrambling towards the exit.

"Emmett, wait!" Rosalie screeched as she too quickly made for the exit.

Just as they reached the exit they heard people snickering in the background and spotted Jasper, Bella, Alice and Edward hiding behind columns. All four came out of their hiding spaces and walked over to Rosalie and Emmett who were glaring at them.

"Okay, that was just plain cruel," said Rosalie. "You almost gave poor Emmett a heart attack!"

"Hah! The chances of that happening are about the same as Emmett wetting his pants and I think he came closer to that scenario when the portrait called him a little Appalachian man!" laughed Edward.

"Jasper, that was hilarious! I've never seen this mischievous side of you, but I'm glad I finally had the chance. That was so much fun!" Bella said as her eyes sparkled.

Alice proudly watched Jasper as he let himself feel the joyful feelings coming from Bella, as well as her admiration for him. _Was that okay, Edward? She seemed to enjoy it._

Edward smiled and nodded at his brother as he hugged Bella to his side while giving his brother a thumbs-up with his free hand.

"Alright, alright, the two of you got us good. I expect something like that from you, Jazz, but Bella, how could you, after the way we bonded at Disneyland Paris? You do realize this makes you fair game after your change, don't you?" said Emmett with an evil grin on his face.

"Of course, Emmett, I wouldn't have it any other way." Bella laughed, feeling safe and secure in Edward's arms. "But, don't forget that I've also bonded with my other brother and he's a master strategist. And he's told me he will always be there to help me and support me, right brother?"

Jasper and Alice walked over to where Edward and Bella were standing. Jasper took Bella's hand in his and with his best Southern manners he bent over Bella's hand and gently kissed it. "Always, little sister, for eternity."

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one. There's so much we don't know about Jasper so while it was difficult to write about him, it was also fun because I got to write how I imagine him to be. Just two more chapters to go and I'll try to get them out as fast as possible. Thanks for reading and leave me a quick review if you can. :-)


	16. Romance in Hyde Park

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Romance in Hyde Park**

It was Friday morning and Bella was sitting in the oversized armchair facing the window, looking out the window towards the beautiful park on the other side of the fence and reflecting on all that had happened since they left Forks 3 weeks ago. She sat with a dreamy look on her face as she recalled yesterday.

Edward had taken Bella to see 'Romeo & Juliet' at the Globe Theatre, Shakespeare's own theatre. Bella had been so surprised and Edward had enjoyed himself immensely as he watched her reciting her favorite lines along with the actors. Occasionally Edward would recite a favorite passage, enjoying how Bella's heartbeat would accelerate as he whispered the words in her ear. They'd finished the day with a moonlight cruise on the Thames.

"What are you thinking about, love?" Bella sat up with a start as she heard Edward speak to her from the doorway, his head tilted to the side as he tried to read the expressions dancing across her face.

"I was thinking about yesterday and how much I enjoyed spending time with you," Bella replied as she rose from her chair. Before she could take a step Edward was at her side, scooping her up into his arms and sitting down in the chair with her firmly on his lap.

"And which was your favorite part?" Edward asked in a low voice that made Bella shiver.

"Without a doubt the last…" Bella replied, looking up at him through her lashes.

"That being…" Edward prompted.

"When you tucked me into bed last night and kissed me to sleep." Bella grinned as she laid her head against Edward's shoulder. A low growl sounded in his chest as he tightened his arms around her. They sat quietly for the next ten minutes, content to stay still and enjoy the peace and quiet of the morning before the hustle and bustle of the day.

Bella was the first to break the silence. "Edward, where are you taking me today?"

Edward had been strangely secretive about their plans for the day. He would only say they needed to get an early start and that they were spending the day in the city.

He shook his head. "Bella…it's a surprise, love. You wouldn't want me to spoil it by telling you, would you?" He chose that moment to try to distract her by attempting to kiss her just below her ear. Bella quickly dodged away from his lips and instead whispered into his ear.

"Please, Edward. Won't you please tell me?" she asked sweetly, leaning back to look at him with her brown eyes wide and innocent. She lightly kissed his ear before brushing little feather kisses along his temple, brow, nose and the corner of his mouth.

"Bella," Edward warned as he tried to capture her lips. She was playing the "please" card, a word he knew he couldn't resist. "Please don't make me…"

"Please" was also a word that Bella found impossible to resist, although she didn't let Edward in on that little secret. A girl had to have some weapons in her arsenal, especially when all her fiancé had to do was look at her for her to be dazzled.

She planted a quick kiss on his lips before jumping up and walking towards the closet to select an outfit for the day. Before she could reach for a garment she heard Alice yell out, "Outfit #34, Bella!" She immediately reached for the outfit and came back out of the closet.

"That's not fair. You know I hate surprises." Edward started to laugh. She glared at him, sucking her breath in between her teeth and making a hissing sound. Startled, she looked up to see Edward standing right in front of her.

"Again the kittenish anger…I love it, you know," he growled as he placed his arms around her and gently nipped at her neck, causing her to squeal and giggle before ducking out of his arms. "I promise you, Bella, this is one surprise you will love. Trust me, okay?"

"Alright, Mr. Cullen, I trust you but only because…"

"Because what, my love?" asked Edward, intrigued.

"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out…" was Bella's girlish reply as she sauntered towards the bathroom with swaying hips, one backward glance showing Edward with a slightly dazed look on his face as he watched her from behind. She gave him quick wink before closing the door to change.

Edward closed his eyes, shaking his head as he took a deep breath. _Does she realize what she does to me when she looks at me like that?_ _Of course she does, Cullen, she knows it and you know you like it!_

Edward had a goofy grin on his face as he went downstairs to prepare Bella's breakfast and make the final arrangements for Bella's surprise.

* * *

Edward and Bella walked hand in hand down the small neighborhood streets, enjoying the sights and sounds of city life. Everywhere there was something to see. A shop selling colorful scarves, a small café where customers were sipping coffee at little tables set outside so they could watch people as they discussed life, death and the usual things that interested people.

Edward watched Bella as she watched everyone else. She was oblivious to the looks they were attracting from both males and females alike. There was a continuous low growl in Edward's chest as he listened to the thoughts of males who were appreciating his Bella's beauty. At the same time he was irritated by the women's thoughts as they were particularly catty towards Bella and offensive in their lustful thoughts towards him. He did his best to tune them all out, grateful that he would soon be alone with Bella and the peacefulness he felt when with her.

Edward led Bella towards Hyde Park where they walked along the many paths and enjoyed the beauty of the park. Edward and Bella then strolled towards The Rose Garden to enjoy the beauty of all the flowers that were blooming spectacularly, the air heavy with their glorious scent. Edward guided Bella towards a pale white rose that was standing by itself among a group of red roses. Bella was enchanted by its beauty and as she leaned in closer to inhale its scent, she noticed the small plaque in front of the flower identifying its name. The plaque identified the rose as the "Bella Marie Cullen". Her jaw dropped open as she quickly turned to look at Edward who was smiling at her reaction.

"I hope you like your surprise, love. It's the only one of its kind, breathtakingly beautiful, just like her namesake. For the woman who holds my heart..." Bella's eyes filled with tears as she looked again at the beautiful flower.

"Oh, Edward, it's beautiful. I don't know what to say…" said Bella as she embraced Edward, turning her face into his chest and kissing the spot where his heart would be. "Thank you."

Edward whispered into Bella's ear a famous line from Romeo & Juliet. _"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."_

Bella started laughing through her tears. "Are you reciting Shakespeare again, Mr. Cullen?"

"Of course. I don't go arranging to have roses named after just any woman. And it doesn't matter if your name is Juliet or Bella, Swan or Cullen, I will love you for eternity."

"That's was so beautiful…" Bella said through her tears as she stood on her toes to kiss Edward.

"Yeah, sickeningly so…" came Emmett's voice as he walked up to Bella and Edward, followed by Rosalie who quickly smacked him upside the head. "Ow, Rosie! What did you do that for?"

"What did I do that for? Edward arranges to have a rose named after Bella, yet I'm the one named Rose and you've never done anything as romantic for me!" Rosalie huffed as she quickly winked at Bella.

Jasper and Alice were right behind Rosalie as they too joined Edward and Bella.

"Yes, Emmett, you best explain yourself to Rosalie!" Jasper added as Alice nodded in agreement. He shook his head and gave a dramatic sigh. "These little Appalachian men…not a romantic bone in their bodies!"

"Hey, I can be romantic!" said Emmett as turned towards Rosalie and bent down on one knee. "O Rosalie, Rosalie! Wherefore art thou Rosalie?"

Bella started laughing. "Emmett, I thought you said you didn't, how did you put it, 'I don't go for that Shakespeare dude and any of his plays?'"

Everyone started to laugh, including Emmett.

"So what are all of you doing here?" Bella asked.

"Oh, we were just strolling through the park and thought it would be fun to see what the two of you were up to?" Emmett said as he waggled his brows. "Wouldn't want to have to report any unseemly or inappropriate behavior to Charlie."

This time Alice took it upon herself to smack Emmett upside the head. "Knock it off, Emmett. You leave my sister alone!" Alice stepped up to Bella and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Actually, Bella, we're here to deliver this." Alice handed a picnic basket and small blanket to Edward. "Enjoy your afternoon!"

Bella turned to Edward, a huge smile on her face. "We're having a picnic too?"

"Yes, love, just the two of us. There is a meadow here in the park. It's not the same as our meadow back home, but I think it will suit our purpose just fine."

Bella and Edward waved goodbye to the others as they made their way to the meadow. Edward spread the blanket and sat Bella down, and then proceeded to open the picnic basket and take out fresh fruit, bread, cheese and sparkling water. As Bella ate they looked out over the meadow, watching the butterflies zipping back and forth among the flowers, a gentle breeze playing with the tall grasses as dandelions floated through the air.

When Bella had finished, Edward stretched out on the blanket and pulled Bella close to him. He pulled out a book of Bella's favorite poems and read them out loud while Bella laid her head against his chest and listened to him read.

After an hour had passed Edward stood up and gently pulled Bella to her feet, leading her towards the lake where her next surprise was waiting, a small rowboat for two. Bella raised her eyebrows and nodded her head towards the rowboat, bringing a smile to Edward's face as he stepped into the rowboat and reached for her hand, not letting go until he had her safely ensconced on the cushions and pillows he'd arranged to have put in the boat for her comfort. He sat down and taking the oars in hand he gently pushed off from the dock, skillfully maneuvering the rowboat out onto the lake while Bella sat facing him, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the gentle breeze on her face.

They lost track of time as they enjoyed the peace and quiet and each other's company. As they neared some low-hanging branches, a familiar voice could be heard out on the water.

**_There you see her_**  
**_Sitting there across the way_**  
**_She don't got a lot to say_**  
**_But there's something about her_**  
**_And you don't know why_**  
**_But you're dying to try_**  
**You wanna kiss the girl.**

**_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_**  
**_My, oh, my_**  
**_Look at the boy too shy_**  
**_He ain't gonna kiss the girl_**

**_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_**  
**_Ain't that sad_**  
**_Ain't it a shame, too bad  
You gonna miss the girl_**

Edward groaned and he started pinching the bridge of his nose while Bella tried to not to laugh, knowing it would only encourage Emmett.

"Emmett…" Edward growled. "Is there no place we can go where he won't disturb our peace?"

"Sorry bro, just wanted to make sure you had a little mood music." Emmett called out from the middle of the lake, rowing towards Bella and Edward's boat.

"Emmett, keep that boat away from us!" said Edward as he quickly maneuvered their boat away from Emmett's.

"Don't worry, bro, nothing is going to happen. You worry too much!" replied Emmett.

"When it has anything to do with you, yes, I do. Go the other way." Edward gestured towards the opposite direction of the lake.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Fine! But only because Rosalie's in that direction and she and I have a night out on the town!"

"Bye Emmett!" Bella called out as she waved from her seat in the rowboat. Emmett waved back as he disappeared into the distance, still singing the "Kiss the Girl" song from 'The Little Mermaid.'

Edward turned towards Bella. "Are you certain you want to marry me, considering you will have to put up with Emmett's singing and antics for the next century, or two, or three?"

Bella leaned forward carefully, Edward moving towards her at the same time to make sure she didn't lose her balance. She gently poked him in the chest. "You're stuck with me mister! Remember? _A Cullen, Bella, that's what you are. For eternity._"

Edward's answering smile lit up his face. "For eternity, Bella, for eternity."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Just two chapters to go in this story, so don't give up on me! I should have the next chapter out within the next couple of days. Thanks! :-)


	17. We Are Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: We Are Family**

It was the Cullens final day in London and while happy to be returning home, there was a sense of sadness that their family trip and adventure was coming to a close.

For Bella, it had been the happiest time in her life thus far. They'd been in England for three weeks and had seen so many things and visited so many places, but now it was time to say good-bye to London and the Cullens were going to do that by taking one last ride on The Eye.

When they'd first arrived in London Alice had insisted on seeing London from The Eye. For this final evening in London they were going to visit in the evening so as to enjoy the beauty of the great city by night.

The Cullens arrived shortly after sunset and were able to secure a capsule for themselves. Each of the couples stood a little away from the others as the capsule slowly made its way to the top.

The night ride was absolutely breathtaking, all the bright lights of the city flickering on one by one. The lights illuminating the Houses of Parliament were also magnificent, with the reflection of the buildings seen on the River Thames.

Edward was standing behind Bella, arms wrapped securely around her as she leaned her head back against his chest, watching as he pointed to different landmarks as they became visible. It was a clear night and they could see for miles out in each direction, with the stars twinkling in the sky.

"So, love, what was your favorite highlight of this trip?" Edward whispered into Bella's ear as they reached the top. Bella was quiet, thinking back over the last three weeks. Edward waited patiently for her reply, eager to find out what moment, place or event had meant the most to her.

From across the capsule Alice chimed, "Well, I can tell you what my favorite highlight of the trip was…" Jasper smiled at her indulgently.

"Obviously my favorite moment of this trip was when Bella fought tooth and nail for a pair of shoes. Granted, they weren't just ANY shoes. I mean, who wouldn't fight for a pair of Christian Louboutin's?" Alice started gesturing excitedly, caught up in the memory of that day. "But there was my little sister, bravely facing off against the evil Jesska, all in the name of fashion!"

Everyone laughed, including Bella, as they once again pictured the scene in their mind.

Rosalie was next. "Well, my favorite highlight was without a doubt our spa day." She smiled affectionately at Bella, who returned the smile as she remembered their conversation. "We finally became true sisters that day."

Carlisle and Esme were watching their family with indulgent smiles on their faces. Carlisle caught Esme's eye as she nodded for him to say what they were both thinking. "Bella, I would have to say for Esme and myself, our favorite moment was breakfast that first morning. It felt good to be able to prepare a meal for you and watch you enjoy it. All the things we do to _appear _human aren't forced when you are around. You make us _feel _human and that is something we can never thank you enough for, Bella."

Esme smiled fondly at Carlisle before turning to speak to Bella. "My favorite moment was when we were sitting on the couch in front of the fire and you were telling me your memories of your favorite scene in 'Mary Poppins'." Bella and Esme both smiled at the memory. "I've considered you my daughter from the first time Edward brought you home, but sharing those stories and time together made the feeling that much stronger. You truly are my daughter and I love you."

"Well, my favorite memory is without a doubt our little prank on Emmett at the War Museum…" Everyone started chuckling at this remark, including Emmett. "It's always fun to yank his chain and to be able to do that with you as my accomplice, well, it meant more to me than I can say."

Bella mouthed, "For me too, Jasper."

She then turned to Edward. "What about you? What's your favorite moment?"

Edward stared at her intently for a moment. "Bella, every moment I spend with you is a favorite moment. To know that you love me and want to be with me forever… as long as I get to spend each moment with you I'll never want for anything more."

Emmett started thumping his chest with one arm. "Hey, what about me? I want a turn!"

There was a collective sigh from the group as they waited to hear what Emmett had to say. Bella turned to Emmett. "Okay, what was your favorite moment?"

Emmett raised both arms in the air. "DISNEYLAND PARK PARIS!!! The happiest place on Earth, because I got to spend it with my little sister! We got on all my favorite park rides, you wore your mouse ears and I was Captain Jack for the day, and we sang songs!"

Once again all the Cullens started laughing, including Bella.

Edward then turned to Bella. "You still haven't answered my question, love. What was your favorite highlight on this trip?"

Bella looked down at her feet before raising her eyes to look at each family member and then fixing her eyes on Edward's face. "I don't have one particular favorite moment. It's a combination of moments from this trip that made me realize how much we all love each other and what we bring to this family that makes us, well, _family._" She smiled at Edward. "And I really, truly believe in both my mind and heart that nothing will ever break the bonds we have. Our choosing to be together as a family and not letting anything or anyone get in the way of that, it really is a choice of the heart. _We are family_, forever…"

"Well said, Bella." Carlisle replied as everyone nodded in agreement.

Edward pulled Bella into his arms and tenderly kissed her. "You're the choice of my heart…"

"And you're mine…" Bella whispered in return.

The capsule started slowly making its way back to the ground when Emmett pumped his fist in the air. "Oh yeah! I feel a song coming on…"

All of the Cullens rolled their eyes and shouted, "Emmett!!!"

"Come on everyone, sing with me!"

_**We are family  
I got all my sisters (and brothers and parents) with me  
We are family  
Get up ev'rybody and sing**_

**_Ev'ryone can see we're together  
As we walk on by  
(FLY!) and we fly just like birds of a feather  
I won't tell no lie  
(ALL!) all of the people around us they say  
Can they be that close  
Just let me state for the record  
We're giving love in a family dose_**

Alice and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle, and Edward and Bella all joined Emmett as he sang:

_**We are family  
I got all my sisters (and brothers and parents) with me  
We are family  
Get up ev'rybody and sing**_

The End.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to say a big "Thank you!" to everyone who has followed this story and left such wonderful and encouraging reviews. I had planned to do a final chapter of the plane ride home, but I've decided to end it here for two reasons. First, as most of you know my brother is still in the hospital in critical condition. We're still hopeful for recovery but it's going to take time. Eventually I'll write the scene involving the plane ride home as an outtake to this story. Second, I'm trying to finish up the first three chapters of the Punk'd sequel. I'm really anxious to start posting that story so keep watching as I plan to have the first chapter out within the next two weeks. Thanks again!


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